B. N. Puri

He has more than four decades of rich and varied experience at National and International level, in the field of transportation with a focus on policy formulation, investment planning assessment regarding cost recovery and internal resources, assessment of physical and financial performance of various transport undertakings analysis of traffic flows and modal transport costs, strategies to meet the transport demand at minimum resource cost to the economy, project formulation and management, regulatory framework, private sector participation in infrastructure, evolving and socio-economic evaluation and appraisal of schemes/ projects, etc.

During his long association of over 35 years with the Planning Commission and 5 years with the Ministry of Surface Transport, he was closely associated with the formulation of policies and successive Five Year Plans, particularly, relating to transport sector. He was also responsible for evolving and evaluating schemes with a view to developing a sustainable, safe, reliable and viable transport system in the country. He contributed towards opening up transport sector for private sector participation particularly roads and marine transport. He carried out /guided a number of research studies in transport sector and related areas. This included all the three studies relating to origin-destination traffic flows and cost studies carried out at national level and formulation of integrated transport policy. He served as Director/Trustee on the Board of Transport organization includingNational Highways Authority of India ( NHAI), Port Trusts and Shipping entities. He has been consultant to international institutions including World Bank and UNESCAP and has served on transport projects.

He was head of Transport Division of Planning Commission, Government of India for 12 long years. He was Principal Adviser (Transport), Planning Commission at the level of Secretary to the Government of India and was responsible for plan and policy formulation of all modes of transport evaluation of schemes/project, etc. He worked as Member-Secretary, National Transport Development Policy Committee set up by the Government of India. At present, he is Director, Asian Institute of Transport Development.