Rourkela: The Department of Civil Engineering at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela on Friday inaugurated the three-day National Symposium on Building Resilient and Sustainable Highway Infrastructure (BRSHI-2026), bringing together researchers, academicians, industry experts and policymakers to discuss innovative solutions for future-ready road infrastructure.
Inaugurating the symposium, NIT Rourkela Director Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao stressed the need for research tailored to India’s transportation challenges, saying engineering innovations should deliver practical solutions to make highways safer, more resilient and sustainable.
Former Indian Roads Congress President Prof. Manoranjan Parida underscored the importance of collaboration among academia, industry, research organisations and government agencies to translate research into practical technologies and standards. Pankaj Agrawal, Chief Engineer (Standards & Research), Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, highlighted the Centre’s support for research on pavement performance, climate resilience and road safety.
The symposium features keynote lectures, invited talks and technical sessions on resilient pavements, sustainable construction materials, climate-resilient infrastructure, transportation safety and smart highway technologies, with an aim to develop innovative solutions for India’s expanding road network.
