The government is preparing a major push to build more than 5,000 km of highways in border regions over the next three to five years, seeking to strengthen military mobility while opening up some of India’s most remote areas to trade, tourism and investment, two persons aware of the matter said.
The proposed expansion comes as the government steps up infrastructure development along sensitive frontiers and could involve investment of more than ₹2 trillion over the coming years, the first of the two persons said.
The programme is expected to focus on strategic stretches along India’s with China, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar, complementing highways already being developed in border states and Union territories, the first person added.
The initiative assumes significance as the government seeks to bridge infrastructure gaps in frontier areas while ensuring faster movement of troops, equipment and supplies. Better roads are also expected to improve access to healthcare, education and markets for communities living in remote districts.
Work underway
The scale of the task is already evident from ongoing projects. According to the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH), 3,318 km of national highway projects aimed at improving border connectivity have been awarded over the past five years, of which 1,301 km have been constructed.
Arunachal Pradesh accounted for the largest share of projects awarded at 740 km, followed by Jammu and Kashmir at 355 km, Uttarakhand at 266 km, West Bengal at 265 km and Manipur at 241 km. Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh were among the other regions covered.
At present, 1,191 national highway projects covering about 25,917 km and costing ₹7.15 trillion are under construction across the country. This includes development works covering about 3,100 km in border areas, according to the ministry.
The government is also increasingly linking to the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, with projects being prioritised based on traffic density, connectivity requirements, road conditions and their strategic importance.
Queries mailed to MoRTH remained unanswered till press time.
Security dividend
“This is a visionary and strategically imperative move,” said Sanjay Kumar Sinha, founder and managing director of Chaitanya Projects Consultancy. He said the proposed highways would help reduce the “road head differential” with neighbouring countries and enable faster mobilisation of troops and logistical support in sensitive areas.
The experience of projects such as the 1,748-km Arunachal Frontier Highway, which runs parallel to the Line of Actual Control, demonstrates the broader economic potential of strategic roads, Sinha said. Such corridors can connect villages to markets while supporting trade and tourism.
The economic case for the investment is particularly significant for the Northeast and other underserved border regions. Road transport accounts for nearly 65% of India’s freight movement and about 90% of passenger traffic, said Bhavik Vora, partner at Grant Thornton Bharat.
“While the immediate objective is to enhance defence mobility, the long-term economic impact could be equally transformative,” Vora said, adding that improved connectivity could boost , local entrepreneurship, supply-chain efficiency and access to social infrastructure.
He said all-weather roads could also improve disaster response and attract private investment into warehousing, logistics and other economic activities. The key, however, would be timely execution, resilient infrastructure and coordination between multiple agencies.
Funding challenge
The financing model for such roads could differ from conventional commercially oriented highways. Given their strategic purpose and relatively low traffic volumes, toll revenues may not be sufficient to support traditional user-fee models.
“The government’s plan is a positive step towards strengthening connectivity and national security, but tolling these highways may be challenging,” said Kuljit Singh, partner and national infrastructure leader at EY India. A large share of traffic could comprise defence and government vehicles, limiting commercial viability, he said, making Engineering, Procurement and Construction or Hybrid Annuity Model contracts more appropriate.
Vora suggested a differentiated approach, with commercially viable stretches potentially supporting tolling while strategic sections could follow alternative funding models. Defence vehicles, emergency services and local residents could be exempted, while commercial traffic could be selectively charged.
Sinha also favoured a nuanced approach, suggesting that defence vehicles and local residents should be exempt and commercial freight and tourist traffic could potentially be charged through non-intrusive GNSS or FASTag-based systems.
For the government, therefore, the proposed 5,000-km programme is likely to be more than a conventional road-building exercise. By combining strategic infrastructure with economic integration, the highways could become an important instrument for both border security and development of India’s frontier regions.