Case Studies: India's Digital Future

The Challenge

Despite FASTag's widespread adoption, India's toll collection system faces critical limitations in 2025. Traffic congestion at toll plazas continues to cost the economy ₹20,000 crore annually in fuel and productivity losses. The current RFID-based system, while better than manual collection, still requires physical infrastructure and causes bottlenecks during peak hours, with average wait times of 714 seconds at busy plazas.

The GNSS Solution

India is launching a revolutionary satellite-based toll collection system in 2025, leveraging NavIC (India's indigenous navigation system) and GAGAN technology. The initial rollout targets 2,000 km by June 2025, expanding to 50,000 km within two years. This system will:

• Enable distance-based "Pay as You Use" charging with precision tracking
• Eliminate physical toll plazas through virtual toll booths
• Provide 20km daily toll-free corridor for local commuters
• Reduce average wait times from 714 seconds to just 47 seconds
• Start with commercial vehicles already equipped with Vehicle Location Tracking systems

Implementation Strategy

The government has allocated dedicated lanes for GNSS-equipped vehicles at existing toll plazas during the transition period. A hybrid model will operate alongside FASTag, ensuring seamless migration. The National Highways Authority of India, with technical support from ISRO, has already geo-fenced national highways for accurate toll calculation. This positions India among global leaders in satellite-based road pricing technology.