Active FASTags at 5.9 Crore, Electronic Toll Collection Crosses 98%

Digital toll collection through FASTag continues to scale across India’s highway network, with the government reporting a large active base and near-total electronic collection of user fees at National Highway toll plazas. 

Active FASTag Base and Digital Toll Share 

There are around 5.9 crore FASTags currently active across the country out of 11.86 crore issued so far, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. 

FASTag is an RFID-based passive tag that enables automatic toll deduction directly from a customer’s linked prepaid, savings or current account. 

According to the minister, more than 98% of user fee on National Highways is now collected through the electronic toll collection (ETC) system, showing widespread adoption of digital toll payments by highway users. 

"As of December, 2025, out of total issued 11.86 crore FASTags since inception, about 5.9 crore FASTags are active across the country and used for electronic toll transactions at National Highway Fee Plazas," Gadkari informed the Upper House. 

Transaction Volumes and Annual Pass Usage 

Average daily ETC transactions at National Highway fee plazas are running at about 105 lakh in 2025-26 till December, indicating sustained growth in automated toll payments.  

The minister noted that continued FASTag adoption has improved toll plaza efficiency and throughput. 

On the annual pass system, he said since the launch of the initiative on August 15, 2025, around 42 lakh annual passes have been activated, facilitating over 19 crore transactions as on December 31, 2025.  

At present, roughly 25% of non-commercial vehicles are using FASTag transactions through the annual pass facility. 

Time Savings and Revenue Collection 

Citing an official assessment, Gadkari said, “An impact assessment conducted for the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) Programme during 2024-25 indicates that the average time taken by a vehicle to cross a fee plaza under ETC operations is 40 seconds, as compared to 12.23 minutes per vehicle under the earlier manual tolling system.” 

The ministry said this reflects a sharp improvement in traffic movement and congestion reduction at toll plazas. In a separate reply, the minister stated that total user fee collected at National Highway toll plazas during FY23, FY24 and FY25 combined stood at ₹1,65,322.67 crore. 

Read More: From Union Budget to FASTag Rules: What All Changes on February 1, 2026! 

Conclusion 

With a large active FASTag base and ETC accounting for almost all highway toll payments, digital tolling has become the default mode, delivering faster crossings and higher operational efficiency. 

Disclaimer: This blog has been written exclusively for educational purposes. The securities mentioned are only examples and not recommendations. This does not constitute a personal recommendation/investment advice. It does not aim to influence any individual or entity to make investment decisions. Recipients should conduct their own research and assessments to form an independent opinion about investment decisions.  

Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.