The Wall Street Journal reported that India is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build roads, tunnels, and airstrips in the Himalayan mountains in preparation for a potential confrontation with China.
India launched a $750 million tunnel project in the northern part of the country a few months after a 2020 clash with China. Former Northern Command chief, Dipendra Singh Hooda, told the Wall Street Journal that the 14-kilometer tunnel, expected to be completed within two years, will make access to border outposts in Ladakh along the border with China easier.
The 2020 border clash revealed Delhi’s vulnerability. While China has spent decades building an extensive network of roads and railways along its border regions, India had made limited progress in developing the infrastructure its military needs to traverse the mountainous border areas.
Analysts say that during the 2020 conflict, China could have sent reinforcements to the border within hours, whereas India would have needed up to a week due to inadequate infrastructure. Former Ladakh logistics chief, Amrit Pal Singh, said, “It was a striking change in perspective. We realized we needed to overhaul our overall approach.”
More than 1,000 workers are currently involved in constructing the tunnel in northern India.
India’s military spending has increased by 60 percent since 2020, now reaching $80 billion annually. The government has also allocated $810 million to a national construction agency, up from $280 million in 2020. The agency has built thousands of kilometers of new roads along India’s borders.
For decades, India had avoided constructing roads in the region, believing the rugged Himalayas would act as a natural barrier against a Chinese invasion.
Daniel Markey, a senior researcher at the Stimson Center, said, “It was like rolling out a red carpet for a Chinese invasion.”
Analysts warn that India’s push to expand border infrastructure could increase the likelihood of confrontation.
The Wall Street Journal noted that India’s goal is not to match China’s level of infrastructure but to establish sufficient deterrence to make any further Chinese incursions more costly.
