How Geosynthetics Are Transforming Road and Railway Infrastructure

India’s journey toward robust, future-ready infrastructure will increasingly depend on materials that can deliver performance without compromising speed or sustainability. Geosynthetics are at the forefront of this shift, informs Tiru Kulkarni

India is in the midst of an infrastructure revolution. Flagship programs like Bharatmala and Gati Shakti are rapidly redefining how the country moves—by road and rail. With thousands of kilometres being added to the national network, the focus is shifting from speed of execution to long-term durability, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability.

To meet these complex goals, one class of engineered materials is increasingly proving its value—geosynthetics. Far from being a passive layer in construction, these materials are emerging as performance enablers, driving infrastructure longevity, structural efficiency, and environmental resilience.

The role of geosynthetics in modern infrastructure

Geosynthetics, such as geotextiles, geogrids, geocells, and geomembranes, are polymer-based materials engineered to perform various functions beneath and within transport infrastructure.

When integrated into roads or railway beds, these solutions enhance soil stabilisation, drainage, filtration, separation, and reinforcement. They make embankments more resilient, improve structural load distribution, and prevent premature failure of the pavement or track bed.

Products engineered with advanced polymer technology, UV resistance, and customised weaves or coatings are particularly suited to handle the diverse soil, climate, and loading conditions encountered across India.

Real-world applications in India

Across the country, a new generation of infrastructure projects is quietly adopting high-performance geosynthetics that are tailored for Indian terrain:

• Railway embankment reinforcement: In areas with soft soil subgrades—such as the Ahmednagar high-speed rail corridor—customised geotextiles and geogrids are improving slope stability and reducing settlement risk.
• Highway development in flood-prone areas: Projects in Assam and Uttar Pradesh have successfully used high-strength geocells and woven geogrids to stabilise waterlogged, low-CBR soils—ensuring safer roadways through challenging monsoon seasons.
• Coastal corridors and erosion zones: In states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, drainage composites and geotextile-reinforced sand containers are enabling climate-adaptive design by controlling erosion and managing sub-surface water movement.

In each of these cases, performance has hinged on custom-engineered geosynthetics—backed by field trials, design support, and product innovation tailored for Indian use cases.

Benefits for long-term cost efficiency and sustainability

Geosynthetics offer compelling returns across the infrastructure value chain:

• Economic advantage: By reducing the need for repeated reconstruction and lowering pavement distress, lifecycle costs are lowered by 15–35 per cent, especially in weak subgrade zones.
• Operational safety: Enhanced load dispersion and reduced soil displacement mean fewer risks of potholes, cracks, or embankment slips—especially critical for rail and high-speed corridors.
• Environmental gains: Reduced dependence on traditional aggregates and cement means lower carbon emissions. Smartly designed geosynthetic interventions also help conserve water and enable climate-resilient construction in flood-prone or erosion-sensitive zones.

Several Indian manufacturers are now offering sustainable variants of geosynthetics—including recyclable and low-carbon-footprint options—supporting India’s national commitments to net-zero and green infrastructure.

Policy, standards and challenges
While usage of geosynthetics is expanding, the sector still contends with several barriers:
1. Awareness and training: Many project stakeholders, especially at the field and planning levels, remain unfamiliar with the advantages of engineered geosynthetic solutions.

2. Procurement and design bias: Traditional design norms and tendering practices often favor conventional construction materials, sidelining performance-based geosynthetic approaches.

3. Tender norms discouraging innovation: The current government system mandates generic product specifications in tenders, which effectively negates the value of innovation. This is in stark contrast with developed economies that not only recognise but actively encourage innovation by specifying new technologies and advanced products in their projects.

4. Need for localisation: Climatic and geotechnical conditions in India require locally tested, field-validated solutions, rather than relying solely on imported standards.

Encouragingly, initiatives are underway to address these gaps—ranging from updates to IRC and Railways manuals, to growing availability of design tools, technical support, and site training from proactive solution providers.

While usage of geosynthetics is expanding, the sector still contends with several barriers:

• Awareness and training: Many project stakeholders, especially at the field and planning levels, remain unfamiliar with the advantages of engineered geosynthetic solutions.
• Procurement and design bias: Traditional design norms and tendering practices often favor conventional construction materials, sidelining performance-based geosynthetic approaches.
• Need for localisation: Climatic and geotechnical conditions in India require locally tested, field-validated solutions, rather than relying solely on imported standards.

Encouragingly, initiatives are underway to address these gaps—ranging from updates to IRC and Railways manuals, to growing availability of design tools, technical support, and site training from proactive solution providers.

Future outlook and way forward
India’s journey toward robust, future-ready infrastructure will increasingly depend on materials that can deliver performance without compromising speed or sustainability. Geosynthetics are at the forefront of this shift—whether in multimodal freight corridors, mountain railway alignments, or highway expansions across difficult terrain.
To realise their full potential, the sector needs a nurturing ecosystem for innovation. Government tenders should move beyond purely generic specifications and reward product innovations—allowing new solutions to be promoted even in the presence of conventional competitors. Such a shift will unlock innovation in the geosynthetics field, where substantial scope exists today.
By aligning procurement practices with the Government’s Viksit Bharat vision, India can encourage indigenous innovation, accelerate adoption of advanced materials, and create infrastructure that is globally benchmarked yet locally relevant. Innovation, after all, is not a choice but a necessity for realising the aspirations of a developed India.

India’s journey toward robust, future-ready infrastructure will increasingly depend on materials that can deliver performance without compromising speed or sustainability. Geosynthetics are at the forefront of this shift—whether in multimodal freight corridors, mountain railway alignments, or highway expansions across difficult terrain.

To realise their full potential, the sector needs a more integrated ecosystem—where material innovators, government bodies, and contracting agencies co-develop and adopt solutions built for India.

As demand for smart, resilient infrastructure grows, geosynthetics will not just support construction—they will shape the very foundations of India’s mobility future.

About the author:

Tiru Kulkarni is the Chief Operating Officer (Geosynthetic division) at Garware Technical Fibres Limited. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum