India Builds Himalayan Infrastructure Amid Potential Conflict With China

India has begun a major effort to build roads, tunnels, and airstrips in the Himalayas as it prepares for a possible future conflict with China.

The initiative was prompted by a 2020 confrontation in which Indian and Chinese troops clashed at altitudes above 14,000 feet, fighting at close range with sticks and spiked wire, according to The Wall Street Journal.

General Amrit Pal Singh noted that the incident led to a “dramatic rethinking” of India’s strategy. As a result, India is developing a network of strategic routes to enable the rapid movement of troops and supplies into the high-altitude areas of Ladakh.

One of the key projects is the Zojila Tunnel, located at an altitude of about 3.5 kilometers. Construction of the project, costing more than $750 million, began shortly after the 2020 clash. The 14-kilometer tunnel is intended to ensure year-round supply to border outposts that were previously cut off from the outside world for up to six months each year due to heavy snowfall.

Logistics in the region remain extremely challenging: each soldier requires around 100 kilograms of supplies per month, and fuel is often transported literally on people’s backs. The new roads and tunnels are expected to significantly reduce transport times and ease the burden on both military personnel and civilian supply workers.

China has also built dozens of facilities and even bridges across Pangong Tso Lake, while India has expanded its border outposts and upgraded its roads.

Over this period, thousands of kilometers of new roads have been built, along with more than 30 helipads and several modern airfields. The most striking example is the new Mudh–Nyoma air base, located at an altitude of nearly 4.27 kilometers and just 30.5 kilometers from the border with China. It is capable of handling heavy transport aircraft, including U.S.-made C-130J planes, and is set to become a key hub for deploying troops and equipment to border areas.