Decoding The China Angle Behind Northeast's First Emergency Runway On A Highway In Assam

Last Updated:February 14, 2026, 12:23 IST

According to officials, the project will help to strengthen defence preparedness and facilitate rapid deployments in emergency situations, including disaster relief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a historic landing at the Northeast’s first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in Assam’s Dibrugarh, marking the inauguration of a strategic new road-cum-runway. The C-130J aircraft made a landing on a specially reinforced 4.2-kilometre stretch of National Highway-37 at Moran, which has been constructed to enable both military and civilian aircraft to land and take off in emergency situations.

The highway airstrip, constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 100 crore, is the first of its kind in the India’s Northeast and is expected to improve the logistics and security infrastructure in a region that is strategically close to the India-China border.

According to officials, the project will help to strengthen defence preparedness and facilitate rapid deployments in emergency situations, including disaster relief.

The move is important as it represents India’s efforts to enhance its defence preparedness as well as develop the infrastructure in the region. The Chinese have been actively developing infrastructure on their side of the border, which allows them to mobilise their forces quickly. This is a challenge that the Indian government is trying to overcome by developing its own infrastructure in the Northeast.

The highway airstrips, such as the one at Moran, will allow the Indian Air Force to function from several locations, unlike the current situation where the IAF has to use a few air bases. In the event of a war, the airfields could be destroyed or congested, but the highway airstrips will provide the much-needed redundancy. The capability to land and take off from a major highway will improve the logistical response in difficult terrain and enable the quick movement of troops towards the border regions that are under Chinese pressure.

The development of the ELF is also a symbol of the Indian government’s efforts to fill the infrastructure deficit in the Northeast, which is landlocked and connected to the rest of the country only through the Siliguri Corridor, referred to as the “Chicken’s Neck", that is only 20-25 km wide at its narrowest point. In contrast, China’s development of infrastructure in Tibet has enhanced its military capabilities. The Moran highway airstrip, for example, enables India to equalise capabilities, signal a deterrent effect, and enhance defence preparedness in a region where any delay in response time could be costly.

Through the development of infrastructure in the region itself, such as dual-use roads and landing strips, India can reduce its reliance on long supply chains.

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