China has been actively investing in projects across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and claims Arunachal Pradesh as its own territory. This aggressive posture from China has prompted India to counter with its own strategic moves. A recent visit by a US Congressional delegation, led by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to meet with the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, India, signifies the US’s intent to leverage the Tibet issue to exert pressure on China. This move reflects a growing global response to China’s assertive policies.
Following the violent clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Galwan Valley, Ladakh in June 2020, India has revisited its border infrastructure policy. This incident, the most severe in 45 years, resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel. Despite diplomatic efforts, the border standoff remains unresolved. Tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) escalated in April 2020 when China began mobilizing troops in violation of existing bilateral protocols. This escalation compelled India to prioritize strengthening its border infrastructure to enhance its strategic capabilities.
India has implemented 90 key border infrastructure projects, costing a combined Rs 2,941 crore, across 11 states and Union Territories. These projects, executed by the Border Road Organisation (BRO), aim to bridge the significant infrastructure gap with China. Notably, 36 projects are located in Arunachal Pradesh, 26 in Ladakh, and 11 in Jammu and Kashmir. This initiative follows the completion of 103 projects worth Rs 2,900 crore in 2022 and 102 projects costing over Rs 2,200 crore in 2021.
These projects, ranging from the pivotal Nechiphu tunnel on the road to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh to revamped airfields, helipads, roads, and bridges, represent a significant stride in bolstering India’s border infrastructure.
India has unveiled plans for the Arunachal Pradesh Frontier Highway (AFH), officially known as NH-913. This extensive project, spanning 1,748 kilometers and costing ₹27,000 crores, will be constructed roughly 20 kilometers from the LAC and the McMahon Line, near the border regions of India, Tibet, China, and Myanmar. Upon completion, it will become one of India’s major strategic corridors, traversing the contested areas between India and China in Arunachal Pradesh. The AFH will not only enhance connectivity in remote parts of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as South Tibet, but also significantly bolster India’s defense infrastructure in this sensitive border region.
The construction of the Sela Tunnel, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year, connects Guwahati in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. This project, which bypasses the snow-bound Sela Pass, has rattled China, which subsequently made another rhetorical claim to Arunachal Pradesh as its territory. At 13,000 feet, the tunnel is the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel, drastically reducing travel time and enhancing the rapid movement of troops, weapons, and supplies along the sensitive India-China border.
While the Eastern Command of the Indian Army maintains that there have been no Chinese incursions into Arunachal Pradesh since 1959, the area remains a hotbed of tension. The new highway infrastructure not only connects remote regions of Arunachal Pradesh but also strengthens India’s defenses in the face of China’s territorial claims and assertive actions.
