India’s infra ambitions to get a new X factor: The military

livemint.com:

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India’s infrastructure planning is set to get more extensive with the government preparing to include the military’s requirement to ensure civilian projects can also be made available to the armed forces if necessary. The initiative—planned under Prime Minister Gati Shakti, also known as the National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity—will focus on building dual-use projects across all segments of infrastructure such as roads, ports, power and airports, two officials told Mint.

“The planning of infrastructure along with the ministry of defence will become part of the process now, which means their requirements will be taken into account for every project," said a senior government official. “Increasingly, more and more projects will be dual-use infrastructure." The official, who did not want to be identified, added that India may see more civilian airports be built so they can also to be used for the military if needed. Also read | How India's defence sector is going all guns blazing India has seen partial success in building dual-use infrastructure in the roads sector, with a few expressways having stretches that can be used by the Air Force if needed.

But India remains much behind its neighbours in building such dual-use infrastructure. Pakistan has roads that can be used for landing fighter jets. And China is building military-ready infrastructure in other countries where it is funding and building infrastructure—a plan it reportedly started planning in 2015, according to reports.