NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated and dedicated five development projects worth around ₹3,350 crore in Ladakh through video conferencing, focusing on connectivity, power infrastructure, water security and heritage conservation.
Among the key projects was the new terminal building at Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport in Leh, built at a cost of ₹650 crore. Modi said the facility would triple the airport’s capacity and increase its annual passenger-handling capacity from 10 lakh to 35 lakh. He said it was designed to suit Ladakh’s harsh climate, featuring geothermal heating and solar energy.
The Prime Minister also dedicated the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road, constructed at a cost of ₹2,500 crore. He said the route would reduce travel time from 12 hours to around three hours and support trade and business in the region.
The Hanu hydroelectric project and its associated transmission network were also dedicated to the public. Modi said reliable electricity would benefit households, education, healthcare and small businesses.
Forty reservoirs constructed under Project Amrit Him Sarovar were also dedicated to the local community. The reservoirs are intended to improve water availability for irrigation and support farmers during critical cultivation periods.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated India’s first Petroglyph Conservation Park in Leh to preserve the region’s ancient rock art. He said the initiative would help safeguard Ladakh’s cultural heritage and introduce visitors to its history.
Highlighting infrastructure development since Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019, Modi said the region’s road network had expanded from 1,800 kilometres to more than 4,000 kilometres. The number of major bridges had increased from 19 to nearly 75, while helipads had grown from seven to more than 40, he said.
He added that household tap-water coverage had risen from 3.5 per cent to nearly 99 per cent, hospital beds had doubled and the ongoing Zojila Tunnel project was expected to improve all-weather connectivity.
Modi said the government was also promoting winter and adventure tourism and upgrading more than 40 border settlements under the Vibrant Villages Programme to generate economic opportunities in remote areas. He noted that the number of local homestays had increased from around 150 to 3,000, while 11,000 greenhouses were operational across the region.
On access to justice, he said the government had approved the establishment of a High Court bench for Ladakh in August 2026. He also highlighted the expansion of BharatNet and high-speed internet services to improve access to e-governance, online education and digital markets.
The Prime Minister referred to plans for a Centre of Excellence in Leh and proposals for satellite campuses of IIT Jammu and IIM Jammu, saying these initiatives would expand access to higher education, research and technical skills for local youth.
He also highlighted Ladakh’s new sports policy and efforts to provide better training facilities for athletes in ice hockey, winter sports and mountaineering.
On local products, Modi referred to the commercial potential of sea buckthorn, handicrafts, Geographical Indication-tagged apricots, high-altitude floriculture and Pashmina produced by the Changpa community. He said efforts were being made to improve branding, expand markets and ensure better returns for local producers.
The Prime Minister congratulated the people of Ladakh on the projects and thanked engineers, labourers, local workers and Border Roads Organisation personnel involved in executing infrastructure works in difficult terrain.
