PM Modi inaugurates Ladakh infrastructure projects worth Rs 3,350 crore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually inaugurated five major infrastructure and development projects in Ladakh valued at around Rs 3,350 crore, accelerating border connectivity, green energy, and regional economic growth.

The works include a new terminal at Leh's airport, an all-weather Himalayan road link, clean power generation and transmission systems, archaeological preservation, and rural water storage.

Addressing the virtual gathering, the Prime Minister said the projects mark another major step in Ladakh's progress, cutting travel times, improving power stability, expanding water resources, and safeguarding local heritage. Modi also noted that proposals to set up satellite campuses of IIT Jammu and IIM Jammu in Ladakh are moving forward alongside a new centre of excellence in Leh, providing local youth with technical training and employment pathways without needing to leave the region.

What the projects deliver

The central piece of the package is the modern passenger terminal building at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh, built at an outlay of Rs 640 crore. Spanning 23,800 square metres, the terminal is designed to handle up to 35 lakh passengers each year, a substantial upgrade intended to support the Union Territory's growing tourism sector and improve year-round civilian and logistics access. It is the first airport terminal in India fitted with geothermal heating systems, maintaining indoor temperatures in harsh winter conditions while curbing carbon emissions.

On surface transport, Modi dedicated the 298-kilometre Nimmu-Padum-Darcha Road, constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Running through the remote Zanskar Valley and crossing the high-altitude Shinkun La Pass, the road establishes a third strategic arterial corridor linking Ladakh with Darcha in Himachal Pradesh, complementing the existing Srinagar-Leh and Manali-Leh routes. Travel times across the stretch have fallen sharply, from roughly 12 hours down to three, easing supply movements for the armed forces and giving isolated valley settlements direct access to essential services.

Power, heritage and water security

To fortify Ladakh's independent power supply, the Prime Minister inaugurated the 9 MW Hanu Small Hydroelectric Project alongside the 66 kV double-circuit Dah-Hanu-Khaltsi transmission line. These installations tap local river run-off to deliver consistent supply to regional towns while reinforcing the wider transmission grid.

The package also addresses conservation and agriculture. Modi launched India's first Petroglyph Conservation Park at Sindhu Ghat in Leh, protecting hundreds of prehistoric carvings and drawings scattered across the plateau.

For rural farming, the government completed 40 water conservation bodies across 40 villages under Project Him Sarovar. Because Himalayan snowmelt runoff often bypasses the early spring sowing window, these reservoirs capture and store glacial flows, ensuring steady irrigation during critical crop cycles in line with the national Mission Amrit Sarovar framework.