India-Australia Partnership Seminar Held In Delhi

New Delhi. A seminar titled ‘India-Australia Partnership” was held on 5th November 2024 at Hotel Taj Mahal, New Delhi that focused on the new ways of Infrastructure Management through the adoption of the World’s best practices in road asset management that can be applied to India’s roads and highways for driving best asset management outcomes.

NTRO is an Australian Government-owned research organization with over 64 years of expertise in transportation technology, asset management (including material science and maintenance), and road safety. IRSM is the Indian joint venture partner of NTRO, established in 2009 and the first Company in India to introduce advanced road infrastructure measurement and assessment in the country. 

The event was attended by senior officials from MORTH, NHAI, CRRI, State PWD, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), private ConsultantsAustralian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), as well as and private consultants, and investors like CUBE Highways. and AUSTRADE. 

Mr. Michael Caltabiano, CEO of NTRO, leading the seminar, introduced the audience to cutting-edge technologies on road asset management developed by NTRO and widely used in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and countries in the European Union. The focus of the seminar was on the Intelligent Pavement Assessment Vehicle (iPAVE) that is set to be introduced in India shortly. Emphasis was placed on the timely maintenance of the country's $ 3 trillion asset to deliver better value to the community. This vehicle can collect surface and structural condition data, all in one go, traveling at high speeds. The technology is an important tool for providing valuable information to private investors in the road infrastructure sphere aiding in making informed investment decisions.

Mr. Richard Wix, Principal Technology Leader, NTRO explained the nuances of the iPAVE to the audience.