In a significant boost to India’s defense infrastructure, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate 75 strategically crucial projects worth ₹2,236 crore on October 12, aimed at enhancing military mobility along the China border and other remote regions. The projects include roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure, which will strengthen logistics and support for the armed forces stationed in forward areas of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, according to officials familiar with the matter.
This move comes amid heightened tensions and an ongoing military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, as well as China’s own rapid infrastructure development along the contested border in recent years.
Singh, during his visit to Sikkim on October 11-12, will inaugurate the Kupup-Sherathang road, a key route in the region, while the remaining 74 projects will be opened virtually. These projects include roads and bridges in other strategic regions such as West Bengal, Nagaland, Mizoram, Rajasthan, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
With this inauguration, the total number of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) projects completed this year will rise to 111, amounting to a total investment of ₹3,751 crore. The BRO has faced challenging conditions such as difficult terrain and extreme weather to complete these projects, which include 22 roads, 51 bridges, and two additional infrastructure developments.
The minister will also spend Dussehra (October 12) with frontline soldiers stationed along the mountainous frontier, where Indian and Chinese forces have been involved in face-offs. In addition, Singh will address the Army Commanders’ Conference in Gangtok on October 11, marking the first time the high-level military meeting is being held near the China border.
This inauguration holds significant symbolic value as the India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh stretches into its fifth year, with no resolution in sight along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC). While ongoing diplomatic talks with China continue, India is striving to restore the status quo as of April 2020.
The infrastructure push is part of India’s broader strategy to enhance connectivity and fortify its defensive capabilities along sensitive border areas, ensuring the swift movement of troops and supplies in response to any future contingencies.
