Border Roads Organisation
The Border Roads Organisation is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India. BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring countries. This includes infrastructure operations in 19 states and three union territories and neighboring countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tajikistan, and Sri Lanka. By 2022, BRO had constructed over of roads, over 450 permanent bridges with a total length of over, and 19 airfields in strategic locations. BRO is also tasked with maintaining this infrastructure, including operations such as snow clearance.
Officers from the Border Roads Engineering Service and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force form the parent cadre of the BRO. It is also staffed by officers and troops drawn from the Indian Army Corps of Engineers on extra regimental employment. The Indian Army Pioneer Corps is attached to the BRO task forces. BRO is also included in the Order of Battle of the Armed Forces, ensuring their support at any time. The organisations motto is Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam.
BRO is instrumental in significantly upgrading and building new India-China Border Roads. BRO set a Guinness World Record in November 2021 for the "highest altitude road" at Umling La, Ladakh. BRO has been instrumental in constructing projects like Atal Tunnel, Atal Setu, and Col Chewang Rinchen Setu, to name a few.
History
The BRO was formed on 7 May 1960 to secure India's borders and develop infrastructure in remote areas of the north and north-east states of the country. To ensure coordination and expeditious execution of projects, the Government of India set up the Border Roads Development Board with the prime minister as chairman of the board and with the defence minister as deputy chairman.Today, the BRDB exercises the financial and other powers of a Department of the Government of India and is chaired by the Minister of State for Defence. Among others, Chief of Army and Air Staff, Engineer-in-Chief, Director General Border Roads, and FA are members of the BRDB. The secretary of the board exercises the powers of Joint Secretary to the Government of India. The executive head of the BRO is the Director General Border Roads, who holds the rank of lieutenant general. In a bid to boost border connectivity, BRO has been entirely brought under the Ministry of Defence in 2015. Earlier, it received funds from the Ministry of Surface Transport under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Organisation
The BRO consists of the Border Roads Wing under the Ministry of Defense and the General Reserve Engineer Force. Officers are selected through the IES Examination conducted by the UPSC. Officers are also deputed from the Indian Army Corps of Engineers, who are posted to GREF on ERE. The GREF includes civil engineers, mechanical engineers, administrative officers, and medical officers.The Border Roads Engineering Service officers are governed by the Central Civil Services Rules, 1965. They are also subjected to all provisions of the Army Act, 1950 and Army Rules, 1954, except for a few exceptions as given in SRO 329 and SRO 330, both 23 September 1960. GREF is an integral part of the Armed Forces within meaning of Article 33 of the Constitution of India and members of GREF are also members of the Armed Forces as declared by the Supreme Court in respect of R. Viswan vs Union of India 1983 and authorized for all benefits which apply to Armed Forces of India. The organisation's operations are spread across India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. The BRO includes 18 projects, which are divided into Task Forces, Road Construction Companies, Bridge Construction Companies, Drain Maintenance Companies, and Platoons. The organisation also includes base workshops, store divisions, training and recruitment centers, and other staff.
An Internal Financial Advisor supports the BRO, performing the roles of Chief Accounts Officer and Internal Auditor. This system was introduced on 23 March 1995 to introduce efficiency and improve resource utilisation. The IFA secured ISO 9001 certification in December 1999. The organisation employs laborers locally. No local labourer is deployed in BRO for more than 179 days at a stretch, thus keeping the nature of their employment casual.
Director General of Border Roads
A list of the Director General of Border Road :Centres of excellence
In June 2021, the "Centre of Excellence for Road Safety & Awareness" and "Centre of Excellence for Roads, Bridges, Air Fields and Tunnels" were set up.Ranks
; Officers;Other ranks
Role of the BRO
BRO is entrusted with the construction of roads, bridges, tunnels, causeways, helipads, and airfields. The BRO is also in charge of the maintenance of its road networks. In many places, landslides, avalanches, and snow block the routes and have to be cleared as quickly as possible. BRO also employs more than 200,000 casual paid labourers for the task.During Peace
- To develop and maintain the operational road infrastructure of General Staff roads in the border areas.
- To contribute to the socio-economic development of the border states.
During War
- To develop and maintain roads to keep the line of control through in original sectors and re-deployed sectors.
- To execute additional tasks as laid down by the government contributing to the war effort.
Research and development collaboration
Border infrastructure development
In response to the ever-present security threat from Pakistan and increased incursions and rapid border infrastructure from China, India, too, is undertaking border infrastructure development.Project names by geography
The BRO undertakes projects in India and friendly countries. These projects typically include developing roads, bridges, and airfields in hostile environments shunned by private enterprises, whether due to security concerns related to hostilities or because of environmental challenges. BRO has been active during the 1962 war, the conflicts with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, and has also been active in anti-insurgency operations in the northeast.The BRO operates in 18 projects namely: Arunank, Beacon, Brahmank, Chetak, Deepak, Dantak, Himank, Hirak, Pushpak, Sampark, Yojak, Sewak, Shivalik, Swastik, Udayak, Vartak and Vijayak.
Project Vijayak, raised in 2010, Project Vijayak has developed over 1,400 km of roads and 80 bridges in Ladakh. On its 15th Raising Day in 2025, it announced ₹1,200 crore worth of new works, including tunnels, bridges, and advanced road technologies. The project is noted for reopening the Zojila Pass within 31 days in 2025, and reflects India’s focus on connectivity and development in remote frontier
Yearly summary of roads constructed
| Fiscal year | Length constructed | Annual budget | Notes |
| Before 2015 | ~2,000 | /year between 2010-15 | |
| 2015–2016 | ? | 3,300 | /year between 2015-20 |
| 2016–2017 | ? | 4,300 | /year between 2015-20 |
| 2017–2018 | 4,500 | /year between 2015-20 | |
| 2018–2019 | 4,900 | /year between 2015-20 | |
| 2019–2020 | 5,200 | /year between 2015-20 | |
| 2020–2021 | 5,800 | /year between 2020-20 | |
| 2021–2022 | 6,500 | new BRO roads in five years from 2017–2018 to 2021–2022. | |
| 2022–2023 | ? | 7,500 | |
| 2023–2024 | ? | 8,500 | |
| 2024–2025 | 9,500 | ||
| 2025–2026 | 16,000 | ||
| 2026–2027 | 18,700 | ||
| Total | ~ |
Border roads
As per a July 2017 update to Lok Sabha from the Government of India, construction of 73 completed strategic roads along the Sino-India border was approved in 2005 with initial and currently revised deadlines of 2012–2013 and 2019–2020 respectively, including 43 by the Ministry of Defence and 27 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, of which only 21 roads by March 2017 and 30 roads by July 2017 have been completed and the remaining are under construction as progress was slowed down due to wildlife conservation and environmental approval, insurgency related security hurdles, delay in land acquisition by the states, inaccessible terrain, inclement weather, and other impediments.BRO is constructing 63 out of these 73 roads as it costs BRO to per km compared to to
per km of road construction by the private companies. In two years alone, 2015–16 and 2016–17, prime minister Narendra Modi's government has allocated more than US$4.7 billion in contracts for the development of border roads, which also includes the US$256 million India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway from Moreh in Manipur through Tamu, Myanmar to Mae Sot in Thailand.
In July 2020, BRO was also tasked with building new roads to connect eastern Bhutan to western Tawang area such as Lumla-Trashigang road through Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary.