China’s shadow in India’s border infrastructure push

In early September 2023, India’s defence minister inaugurated over 90 infrastructure projects in far-flung border regions of the country. At first glance, the projects built by the state-owned Border Roads Organisation (BRO) may seem natural progress for a fast-growing economy like India, trying to enhance access to its border regions. Though, seen critically, the shadow of China looms large.

Given the continuing stand-off between India and China in Eastern Ladakh, which began in 2020 and the skirmish in Tawang in December 2022, India’s border infrastructure push epitomizes a scramble for parity along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two countries. For New Delhi, infrastructure is also being ramped up at its borders to ensure its armed forces can access and guard these areas during duress or conflict.

India’s border infrastructure push epitomizes a scramble for parity along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two countries.

The recent 90 inaugurated projects have been estimated to cost INR 2,900 crores and have been built across border regions of 11 states and union territories of India. Essentially, these projects provide the critical physical infrastructure which hitherto was non-existent in these border lands or served as an upgrade. The completed projects cover all aspects that can assist both civilian and military activities and requirements, from bridges to roads to tunnels. In essence, the projects will enable a swift and efficient movement of troops, supply chains, heavy machinery, and artillery from the bases to forward locations for the armed forces.

While border infrastructure projects have been envisaged by all governments, till the episode at Galwan in 2020, they were progressing at an incremental and arguably slow rate. However, the multiple friction points in Eastern Ladakh served as a watershed for India’s border infrastructure ambitions. According to government data, spending on infrastructure projects has increased by four times in recent years. 

Since the violence at Galwan in 2020, India has fast-tracked several critical border infrastructure projects in both the western sector of the LAC in Eastern Ladakh and also in the eastern sector of the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh. For this, the government set up a high-powered committee to track the progress of these projects. Through these infrastructure plans, there has been a concerted effort to increase investment while ensuring timely completion and delivery. These projects have also served as a means to attempt to bridge the massive gulf in border capacity and infrastructure at the LAC compared to China.

The completed projects cover all aspects that can assist both civilian and military activities and requirements, from bridges to roads to tunnels.

Reflecting the increase in border capacity and infrastructure for the army, General Manoj Pande, chief of army staff, explained that since 2020, accommodation for nearly 55,000 troops and storage facilities for 400 guns have been created in Ladakh. This has been part of an investment of almost INR 1,300 crores for boosting infrastructure for the army in Ladakh.

In 2021, the BRO inaugurated 102 infrastructure projects for INR 2,229 crores. The covered areas are in the LAC’s western and eastern sectors and other border regions of the country. Specifically, these projects included 22 roads, 63 bridges, two helipads, two airfields, and the Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh. Taking into account the LAC and border with China, out of the 102 projects, there were 26 in Ladakh, 36 in Arunachal Pradesh, three in Himachal Pradesh, two in Sikkim, and two in Uttarakhand. Essentially, these covered the western, middle, and eastern sectors of the LAC.

Further, this tranche of projects in 2021 also included the inauguration of the world’s highest motorable road—the Chisumle-Demchok Road—which passes through the Umling La Pass. The road connects towns in Eastern Ladakh’s Chumar sector. Thus providing access between Chisumle and Demchok. The village of Demchok is a critical flashpoint between India and China, even serving as a stand-off point between the two in 2016, and being the remaining outlier in the current impasse. While disengagement has been achieved in most other flashpoints—Demchok and Depsang remain unresolved.

The village of Demchok is a critical flashpoint between India and China, even serving as a stand-off point between the two in 2016, and being the remaining outlier in the current impasse.

At the other end of the LAC, in Arunachal Pradesh, the government has started initial work on the Arunachal Frontier Highway, a 2000-km road that will enhance connectivity and access along the eastern sector of the LAC. Further, multiple tunnel projects have also been initiated in Arunachal, this includes the critical Sela Tunnel, which will provide troops quicker access to forward locations in the critical Tawang sector. The tunnel is essential for the movement to this sector in winter when supply-chain movement and logistics become a nightmare for the army due to the harsh climate. Significantly, Yangste in Tawang was the flashpoint of the last bloody skirmish between Indian and Chinese troops in December 2022. The government has also sanctioned highway projects worth INR 44,000 crores in Arunachal for both civilian and military purposes.

Essentially, these developments cover both ends of the LAC—the western and eastern sectors. Projects have also been initiated in the central sector. This stands in contrast to the erstwhile dictum and rationale that dominated the government’s approach towards the border regions. For years, projects in these mountainous, forested, and rough terrains were neglected. The rationale given was that the terrain and topography of the erstwhile North-Eastern Frontier Agency and Ladakh would act as a natural bulwark to Chinese expansionism, preventing Chinese troops from being able to move towards India due to a lack of infrastructure. While projects were also prohibited to avoid any counter-reactions from the Chinese.

The tunnel is essential for the movement to this sector in winter when supply-chain movement and logistics become a nightmare for the army due to the harsh climate.

Given these developments, it is fair to say that a new approach is guiding India’s border infrastructure ambitions. All-weather access to cut-off and isolated forward locations across the LAC can ensure the military is unhindered in patrolling and guarding these sectors. The enhanced network of roads, bridges, and tunnels will also be essential during any possible flare-ups and skirmishes. However, many more projects will have to be completed for there to be any sense of parity with China.

While the attention and consideration India’s border infrastructure is now receiving from both the government and the larger strategic community are of import, it is evident that the events at Galwan 2020 set off a chain of sequential reactions that have resulted in this infrastructure focus and push. China’s machinations were a watershed for New Delhi’s border infrastructure ambitions.

Suchet Vir Singh is an Associate Fellow with the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation