Outlook Business Desk
India’s highways are moving from manual tolls to digital systems for smoother, faster travel. FASTag under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme has already modernised toll operations on most national highways, cutting cash transactions, speeding up payments, and easing congestion at toll plazas.
FASTag uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) stickers linked to bank or prepaid accounts. When vehicles cross toll plazas, scanners automatically deduct charges, enabling seamless movement. It covers nearly all national highways in India.
Building on FASTag, the Multi-Lane Free Flow system takes toll collection a step further. Using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technologies, it allows vehicles to pass freely without slowing down, even on busy highways.
Now, Jio Payments Bank has won a contract to implement Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) toll collection at Shahjahanpur and Manoharpura toll plazas on the Gurugram-Jaipur highway. This marks its expansion into next-generation digital tolling under India’s pilot MLFF project.
The project is part of the Indian Highways Management Company Limited’s (IHMCL) pilot (MLFF) initiative, the company said, and is designed to enable uninterrupted vehicular movement on national highways. Jio Payments Bank has also secured two of the five awarded MLFF contracts, demonstrating its competitiveness.
Jio Payments Bank already manages toll collections at 11 highway plazas across India as an acquirer bank. Adding the two MLFF projects strengthens its role in the country’s digital toll ecosystem, linking infrastructure and cashless payment systems.
Commenting on the new milestone, Jio Payments Bank CEO Vinod Easwaran said expanding into toll management is a natural step in the bank’s goal to digitise daily payments. The move strengthens infrastructure, improves efficiency, and promotes inclusive, seamless financial services across India’s highways.