India’s national highways will soon get “smarter”. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are set to partner with Reliance Jio to roll out a telecom-based safety alert system across the highway network.
The initiative will use Jio’s existing 4G and 5G mobile networks to send advance warnings directly to travellers’ phones as they approach risky spots such as accident-prone stretches, fog belts, stray-cattle zones and emergency diversions.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, the alerts will be delivered through SMS, WhatsApp messages and high-priority calls, helping drivers adjust speed and driving behaviour before they enter a hazardous zone.
The system will be integrated in phases with NHAI’s digital platforms, including the ‘Rajmargyatra’ highway app and the emergency helpline 1033. The automated setup will work for all Jio mobile users on or near national highways, without the need for new roadside hardware, as it relies on existing telecom towers along the routes.
The ministry noted that the strategic partnership will make use of Jio’s digital infrastructure, which currently serves north of 500 million subscribers across the country.
NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav called the move “an important step forward in providing timely and reliable information to commuters, enabling them to make informed decisions and adopt safer driving practices well in advance.”
He added that the effort is expected to “set a new benchmark in technology-enabled road safety management on National Highway.”
Strengthening Road Safety with Technology: #NHAI Signs MoU with Reliance Jio to Deploy Telecom-Based Safety Alert System Across National Highways!
— NHAI (@NHAI_Official) December 2, 2025
To enhance safety and offer seamless travel experience on National Highways, NHAI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with… pic.twitter.com/UJMyxFYfvW
Reliance Jio President Jyotindra Thacker said the solution taps into the wide reach of Jio’s network “to deliver timely safety alerts at scale, contributing to safer and more informed National Highway travel.”
Initially, the project will be deployed as a pilot under a few NHAI regional offices, where it will help fine-tune risk-zone identification and alert thresholds before being expanded more widely.
The ministry further stressed that the system will comply with all applicable regulatory and data-protection norms, and that NHAI will undertake “similar exercise with other telecom service providers also”.
This meant that other telecom carriers such as BSNL, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea could replicate the model.
