Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, inaugurated Asia’s longest high-speed test track located at Pithampur in Indore on Tuesday. It 11.3 kilometres long, and it also comprises test tracks for automotive and component testing. The high-speed test track is oval in shape and is 16 metres wide with four separate lanes. The track is the fifth-largest in the world and the longest in Asia.

“High-Speed Track is the heart of any proving ground for the auto sector. Today, inaugurated the longest high-speed track in Asia at Indore”, Javadekar wrote on Twitter. “A proud moment for India and a key initiative in realising PM Shri @narendramodi’s vision of #AatmaNirbharBharat”.

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The new facility ensures that vehicles are tested and assessed within the country, and need not be sent overseas like before. The track is also open to having overseas vehicles for tests and evaluation. The new track is designed for neutral speeds up to 250 kilometres per hour and a maximum speed of 375 kilometres per hour, on curbs, with no speed limit on straight patches, reported Car and Bike.

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The track has no longitudinal slope, which helps in evaluating the performance of vehicles with more precision. Javdekar also shared a video showing an aerial view of tracks and the site. The banking on curbs are parabolic in shape designed for maximum speeds. The National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) high-speed track is open for testing all types of vehicles. NATRAX stated that automobile manufacturers such as Renault, Volkswagen, Peugeot and Lamborghini have already shown their interest to use the facility, reported Car and Bike.