5 years since Galwan, how India has fortified border with reforms and roads

Five years ago, on June 15, 2020, India lost 20 soldiers in the Galwan Valley clash with China in Eastern Ladakh - an event that not only redefined India-China ties but also triggered a series of reforms in India's defence posture and strategic planning along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The Galwan clash, which saw Indian troops retaliate without firearms under existing protocols, also caused significant casualties on the Chinese side and marked a complete breakdown in trust between the two neighbours.

In the years since, India has significantly restructured its military preparedness, reinforced border infrastructure, and intensified diplomatic engagements. The Indian armed forces enhanced their presence across the LAC, especially in Eastern Ladakh, with rapid deployment of troops and high-altitude warfare equipment. Emergency procurement provisions were invoked to expedite defence acquisitions, including surveillance systems, UAVs, artillery, and medical equipment for extreme terrain.

The Galwan incident became a catalyst for infrastructure expansion. The Union Budget for FY 2025-26 allocated Rs 6.81 lakh crore to the Ministry of Defence, a 9.53% increase from the previous year. Of this, Rs 7,146 crore was set aside for the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which completed 75 projects worth Rs 2,236 crore in 2024 alone.

These include roads and bridges in strategic regions like Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh. BRO's earlier achievements included the world’s highest motorable road at Umling La (19,024 feet) and ongoing development of the Nyoma Airfield and Shinku La tunnel.

The last five years have also seen the LAC’s digital landscape transformed. Remote villages in Ladakh, including Galwan and Demchok, were connected to 4G networks under a joint initiative by the Indian Army and Bharti Airtel. This step opened up access to telemedicine, digital education, and government schemes, with the potential to improve tourism and local livelihoods.

On the diplomatic front, over 30 rounds of talks have taken place since 2020. India and China have conducted 21 rounds of Corps Commander-level discussions and multiple Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination (WMCC) meetings. Disengagement has occurred at several friction points: Galwan in July 2020, Pangong Tso in February 2021, PP17A (Gogra-Hot Springs) in August 2021, PP15 in September 2022, and most recently, at Demchok and Depsang in October 2024.

High-level diplomatic meetings also continued. On June 12, 2025, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in Delhi to discuss bilateral ties, people-centric engagement, and reopening direct air services. Talks included progress on resuming hydrological data sharing and finalising an updated air services agreement. Visa facilitation, media exchanges, and commemorations of 75 years of India-China diplomatic relations were also discussed.

Despite partial disengagement, India remains cautious. “Galwan was a turning point,” says Maj Gen Ashok Kumar (Retd), Director General of Centre for Joint Warfare Studies. “It shattered all trust in Chinese political and military leadership. India’s vigilance along the LAC is now permanent.”

India’s response post-Galwan is widely seen as a comprehensive shift—not only in defence and diplomacy but in redefining the strategic calculus of border management. The clash, now etched in national memory, has ensured that preparedness, infrastructure, and international positioning are not reactive but proactive.