NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that “even as state-of-the-art weapons and platforms are being inducted into the defence forces to address the challenges posed by the evolving nature of warfare, ports, airfields, roads and tunnels will continue to play an indispensable role in future, emphasizing that while the outcome of war is largely determined by military prowess, precision capabilities and modern technologies, basic infrastructure is central to enabling military operations.Commending Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at a strategic infrastructure conclave here, Rajnath said that over the past six and a half decades, the organisation has transformed itself from a mere road construction agency to one of the world’s most respected strategic infrastructure organisations. “Atal Tunnel, Umling La Pass, and Sela Tunnel stand as living testaments to BRO’s capability and hard work,” he said, adding that its dedicated personnel have repeatedly proven that with a spirit of service to the nation, any challenge can be overcome even in harshest of conditions. “Sometimes, the first front of a war is not at the border itself, but on the road that leads our soldiers to the frontline. Therefore, the person who builds that road is as vital a guardian of national security as the soldier who stands at the border,” he said.
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Terming BRO as a frontline organisation in adopting latest technologies, Rajnath made special mention of ‘tunnelling technology’, which has brought about the revolution from metro construction in cities to highway development in mountainous regions. The speed with which BRO constructs roads and highways across some of the world’s most challenging terrains is unprecedented, he said.The minister described ‘connectivity’ as an essential component of civilisational development, reaffirming the Modi govt’s resolve to provide all forms of connectivity through roads, rail, air, and digital infrastructure. “The focus laid on infrastructure post-independence did not match the nation’s capabilities and requirements. We have ensured that no citizen residing in a remote area feels cut off from the mainstream. We are developing border villages, once referred to as the last villages, into the country’s first villages under the ‘Vibrant Village Programme’. A nation with robust infrastructure is the one with a bright future. The infrastructure we are building today will define our civilisation for the next one or two centuries,” he said.He commended BRO for adopting niche technologies to establish robust infrastructure and carry forward Modi-led govt’s resolve of building world-class infrastructure, continuously strengthening national security, and transforming India into a Viksit Bharat by 2047.Asserting that infrastructure development is not solely the govt’s responsibility but a collective effort, Rajnath urged the industries to innovate, academia to advance in research, engineers to develop solutions, and administrators to implement them on the ground. “Together, we must create an ecosystem that fosters excellence, where every stakeholder performs their role with utmost dedication,” he said.Speaking on the occasion, BRO director general Lt Gen Harpal Singh stressed that the “measure of strategic capability is no longer defined solely by what we build: it is increasingly determined by how intelligently we plan, how rapidly we execute, how effectively we monitor and how sustainably we maintain infrastructure assets”. He emphasised that BRO has embarked upon a journey of organisational transformation driven by technology, innovation and institutional reforms. He said emphasis is being laid on digital planning, AI-enabled solutions, modern construction methodologies, mechanisation and stronger collaboration with industry and academia to build resilient and future-ready strategic infrastructure.
