India is an immense land with immense diversity. It is the seventh largest nation by area and the second by population. It is often described as a third world nation, yet it has some of the world' s most sophisticated technology. Daily ox carts pull loads of supplies through the capital city of Delhi and yet this country is a nuclear power. It is a diverse country, so too are India's transport systems. They accommodate a diverse range of transport tasks through a vastly different array of vehicle types. India shows considerable innovation and persistence. The transport systems have the old and new operating side by side. Of India's 3.3 million km road network, 195,231 km (6 percent) are National and State Highways. Only two to three percent of the network is four laned while 15 percent is single laned. With India's 1 billion people, the 3.3 million km of roads carries 85 percent of total passenger movements and 70 percent of freight traffic, and creates a massive transport challenge for any country. (a).
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