Draft:Akhilesh Kumar Srivastava

'''Akhilesh Kumar Srivastava''' is an Indian technology leader, infrastructure expert, and road safety advocate. He served in senior roles at the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), including as head of highway operations and information technology, and was the chief operations officer of the Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL)(lasierra.edu}. Srivastava led the implementation of several major digital initiatives in India’s highway sector, notably the FASTag electronic toll collection system, a nationwide highway utility mobile app (Sukhad Yatra), an e-tendering procurement portal, and an e-measurement book (e-MB) system for project works(indiaev.orgissuewire.com). He currently holds prominent positions in the transportation and road safety arena, serving as the President of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) India Forum(yespunjab.com), the Road Safety Ambassador for the International Road Federation’s India chapter(lasierra.edu), and as an external advisor to McKinsey & Company(lasierra.edu). Srivastava’s work has been credited with advancing smart infrastructure and road safety programs in India in a technologically driven, scalable manner(lasierra.edu) (lasierra.edu.)

Early life and education

Srivastava earned a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) degree and later pursued higher studies in business and lawwef.org.in. He holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business and has undertaken executive education at Stanford University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvanialasierra.edu. He also attended Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and, as of 2022, was pursuing a doctorate in Intelligent Transportation Systems at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhilasierra.edu. An academic achiever, Srivastava was an IIT gold medallist in his engineering programakhilesh.info, reflecting a strong technical foundation from the start of his career.

Career

In a public service career spanning over 25 years, Srivastava rose through the ranks of India’s highway and infrastructure sector. He worked with the Ministry of Defence early on to introduce e-tendering for procurement, and designed digital tools such as a document management system and project information system for internal efficiencymedium.comissuewire.com. At NHAI, he eventually served as Chief General Manager (Technical) in charge of Highway Operations and IT, where he spearheaded the automation of national highway managementlasierra.edu. During this tenure, he oversaw the nationwide rollout of the FASTag electronic toll collection program, which introduced RFID-enabled cashless toll payments at hundreds of plazas and now handles millions of daily transactionslasierra.edu. He also implemented technology-driven solutions like GIS-based project monitoring with drones and LiDAR, an AI-powered Road Asset Management System, and a centralized data lake to streamline highway operationsmedium.comlasierra.edu. Under his leadership, NHAI launched the “Sukhad Yatra” mobile application to assist highway users with real-time information and support services, and set up a 24×7 highway operations control center to improve incident responsemedium.commedium.com.

Srivastava concurrently took on leadership roles in related organizations. He was appointed CEO of IHMCL, a company jointly owned by NHAI and the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, where he led efforts to modernize tolling and traveler serviceswef.org.in. He was also the founding CEO of NHAI InvIT, an infrastructure investment trust for highway asset monetizationyespunjab.com. After successfully launching FASTag and other digital initiatives, Srivastava took voluntary retirement from government service around 2019indiaev.org. In the private and non-governmental sector, he has since been involved in multiple capacities: as President of the ITS India Forum, as Honorary Chairman of the Bitumen India Forum (representing the bitumen and road materials industry), and as the Road Safety Ambassador for the International Road Federation’s India chapter (IRF-IC)yespunjab.comtheprint.in. In April 2025, he was elected President of IRF’s India Chapter, a role in which he is expected to steer national road safety initiatives in alignment with global best practicesyespunjab.com. Additionally, Srivastava serves as an external advisor to McKinsey & Company on infrastructure and transport projectslasierra.edu, and as an IT advisor to the government of Uttarakhand, where he has helped launch state-level e-governance programslasierra.edu.

Srivastava is frequently engaged in international collaborations and forums on smart mobility. He was the project head for the World Economic Forum’s “Road Safety 2.0” program in India, an initiative aimed at leveraging technology to reduce road fatalities by 50%lasierra.edu. He has represented India’s efforts in intelligent transport systems and digital infrastructure at events such as the World Road Congress and the ITS World Congressyespunjab.com. In January 2025, as chairman of the Bitumen India Forum, he presided over a governing council meeting of the forum in New Delhi to discuss advancements in sustainable road construction materialsakhilesh.info. Throughout his career, Srivastava’s approach has been characterized by integrating cutting-edge technology into traditional infrastructure development, thus improving transparency, efficiency, and safety in large-scale projectsmedium.comissuewire.com.

Publications

Akhilesh K. Srivastava is also an author of books and scholarly works in his field. His notable publications include:

• Digital Construction Management (2019) – A book examining the integration of fourth industrial revolution technologies (like AI, IoT, and automation) into the construction industry, aimed at boosting efficiency and productivitylasierra.edu. Digital Construction Management has been used as a reference text in academic settings and was released to positive reception for its timely insightslasierra.edu.
• Construction Industry 2.0 (2022) – A book in which Srivastava outlines a vision for the future of the construction sector in the era of connectivity and automation. This work discusses new leadership paradigms and technological disruptions shaping “Industry 4.0” in constructionmedium.com. Construction Industry 2.0 was launched as a roadmap for embracing digital transformation in infrastructure projects, and it builds on Srivastava’s experiences with smart infrastructure initiatives.
• Contributed chapter: “Use of Technology in Administration” in Administration in India: Challenges and Innovations (Routledge, 2023) – Srivastava authored a chapter in this edited volume, analyzing the impact of digital governance reforms in India’s public administration since the “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” drive of 2014akhilesh.info. His chapter highlights how technological advancements in areas like e-governance, digital services, and data analytics have transformed administrative efficiency and service delivery in Indiaakhilesh.info.

Recognition

Srivastava’s contributions to infrastructure and public service have earned him several accolades. In 2018, he was honored with the CIDC Vishwakarma Award for Lifetime Achievement, recognizing his innovations in the digitization of India’s construction and highway sectormedium.comlasierra.edu. This prestigious award, given by the Construction Industry Development Council, acknowledged initiatives like electronic tolling, online dispute resolution systems, and the use of drones and GIS for project monitoring under his leadershipmedium.commedium.com. In 2019, Srivastava was named among the “51 Most Impactful Smart Cities Leaders” globally, reflecting his influence in advancing smart city and smart highway projectslasierra.edu.

He has also received commendations from various organizations for his work in road safety and intelligent transport. Upon his appointment as IRF India Chapter President in 2025, industry leaders lauded his “decades of rich experience and dynamic leadership” in promoting safer, tech-enabled transportation systemsyespunjab.com. Srivastava’s career accomplishments – from implementing FASTag to championing Road Safety 2.0 – underscore a commitment to modernizing India’s infrastructure while improving public safety and convenience on the roadslasierra.edulasierra.edu.