Indo-China Border Roads Phase III: 26 Roads Planned in Arunachal Pradesh

The news

The Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the third phase of the Indo-China Border Roads project in February 2026, sanctioning 26 roads along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh. Separately, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police has since September authorised the construction of 15 pedestrian suspension bridges and 18 log bridges in Upper Subansiri and Kurung Kumey districts, covering areas bordering China in the state. The Union Government has not yet officially announced the ICBR-III project or publicly disclosed its details.

This is only the second time after the 2020 Galwan clashes in eastern Ladakh that a critical road infrastructure project has been sanctioned along the border with China. The first phase of the ICBR was initiated in 2005, when the Ministry of Home Affairs decided to construct 27 priority roads with a total length of 608 km. The second phase, comprising 32 roads with a total length of 683 km, was approved on September 21, 2020, months after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in clashes with the Chinese People's Liberation Army. In December 2020, the MHA had also approved construction of 18 pedestrian tracks, including foot suspension bridges, log bridges, and staging camps, measuring a total length of 598.27 km in the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit from September 11 to 13 in New Delhi, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping. A government statement after the meeting said Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that peace and tranquillity in the border areas remains an essential basis for the continued development of bilateral relations. Tension in Arunachal Pradesh has persisted even though India and China have held three high-level border talks since July, including the 36th Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination meeting on August 6, the 25th Special Representatives' talks on August 26 in Beijing, and the first Corps Commander-level meeting in the Eastern Sector on September 6 at the Vacha-Damai border personnel meeting point.

What is the Cabinet Committee on Security?

The Cabinet Committee on Security is the highest decision-making body within the Government of India for matters of national security, defence, and foreign policy. It is chaired by the Prime Minister and includes the Ministers of Defence, Home Affairs, Finance, and External Affairs. The committee is responsible for authorising major defence and security-related expenditures and strategic projects, such as the clearance of the Indo-China Border Roads phases. It is one of several cabinet committees constituted under the Government of India Transaction of Business Rules, 1961, which derive their authority from Article 77 of the Constitution.

What is the Indo-China Border Roads project?

The Indo-China Border Roads project began in 2005 with 27 priority roads totalling 608 km, whose construction was assigned to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Its second phase, approved on 21 September 2020, comprised 32 roads of 683 km, following the June 2020 Galwan clashes in eastern Ladakh. The third phase, cleared in February 2026, envisages 26 roads in Arunachal Pradesh, while separate ITBP sanctions cover 15 pedestrian suspension bridges and 18 log bridges.

What has the border infrastructure achieved and what remains?

The sanctions improve planned connectivity in difficult terrain, supporting movement and patrol logistics. However, approval does not establish completion. Weather restricts long-range patrols in Arunachal Pradesh to June–October, and the Union Government had not publicly announced the third phase or disclosed its details by November 2026. Former ITBP Director-General Shatrujeet Kapur said on October 22 that face-offs with Chinese troops continue at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh, and stressed the need to invest in drone and counter-drone technology, noting that it may not be possible to face China through traditional methods.