NHAI plans to upgrade its 1033 helpline with AI

New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning to include artificial intelligence (AI) its 1033 National Highway Helpline team.

This would provide real-time location tracking and smart emergency-response systems to provide faster assistance to highway users, the highways authority said in an official statement on Monday.

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According to NHAI, the upgraded platform, proposed as the Next Generation 1033 Helpline, is aimed at improving the response to medical emergencies, vehicle breakdowns and other problems faced by travellers on National Highways.

The new system will enable real-time identification of callers' locations, AI-assisted handling of calls in multiple Indian languages and intelligent dispatch of ambulances, cranes and patrol vehicles. Human operators will continue to handle critical situations requiring judgement and decision-making.

The 1033 helpline, launched in 2018, operates round the clock and currently covers more than 1.46 lakh km of National Highways. It receives around 15,000 calls daily and provides assistance for medical emergencies, vehicle breakdowns, ambulance and crane services, toll plaza and FASTag-related issues, among others.

Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a company promoted by NHAI, has invited an Expression of Interest (EOI) from companies and consortia for the development, design, deployment, operation and maintenance of the Next Generation 1033 Helpline and Call Centre.

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The proposed platform will incorporate smart dispatch capabilities to identify and deploy the most suitable emergency-response vehicle, along with proactive alerts and improved coordination among the helpline, emergency services and highway operations teams.

IHMCL is also seeking technical inputs and suggestions from industry players to develop a scalable and future-ready system. Companies with expertise in software development, digital platforms, 24x7 call-centre operations, emergency response, mobility, logistics, Computer-Aided Dispatch, Voice AI and Indian-language speech recognition have been invited to participate.

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