Ladakh Takes Giant Leaps: Internet, Electricity To Businesses And Carbon Neutrality

Ladakh’s growth story has some key milestones. Picture this: All 193 Gram Panchayats (GP) of Ladakh have been made Service Ready through satellite under the BharatNet project. While Ladakh’sentrepreneurial base is expanding, it is taking major steps towards carbon neutrality. A total of 175 mobile towers have been commissioned in the uncovered remote and rural villages of Ladakh. A 335-km 220 kV Srinagar-Leh transmission line was already completed and commissioned in 2019. To provide grid connectivity to Ladakh, Nubra, Zanskar and Changthan, 220 kV Nubra and Zanskar transmission line and 66 kV line from Himya to Nyoma and from Kharu to Durbuk is under construction. To further connect the border areas with the grid, big projects like the 220kv

Phyang-Disket (Nubra) transmission line and 220kv Drass-Padum (Zanskar) transmission line are under construction and will be completed by next year. Development of 25 MW AC, 50 MWp Solar Power Plant with 40 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Taru with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The work has been awarded and is in progress.

Support for small businesses

With 18,500+ MSMEs on the Udyam portal employing over 54,000 people, there is easier access to credit, formalisation, and government support.
Almost 10,000 entrepreneurs in Ladakhhave been able to start or expand their businesses under the Khadi Gramodyog Vikas Yojana and PM Employment Guarantee Program schemes, creating new opportunities for self-employment and local job generation in the Union Territory. .
Over 4,000 artisans have received credit support upto 3 lakhs, skill upgradation and Rs 15,000 as toolkit incentive under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme.
Through the Integrated Wool Development Programme, pashmina herders in Ladakh are receiving direct support that improves both their livelihood and living conditions. Over 350 nomadic families have benefitted from predator-proof corrals with lighting, portable tents for harsh weather, and funds that help them market their wool at fair prices.
In addition, new handlooms, charkhas, and a de-hairing plant are strengthening local processing and weaving, ensuring that the traditional pashmina economy not only survives but grows sustainably.

Carbon neutral Ladakh: Vision turned into action

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Ladakh’s transformation into India’s first carbon-neutral region, it wasn’t just rhetoric; it became a roadmap.
The BRO inaugurated its first carbon-neutral habitat for its personnel at ~19,000 ft in Hanle, an operational example of ecology-meets-infrastructure in action.
In October 2023, the Cabinet approved the Green Energy Corridor Phase II (Inter-State Transmission System) for 13 GW of renewable energy in Ladakh, the first time ever such a massive clean-power evacuation project has been sanctioned for the region, costing ~₹20,774 crore, with ~₹8,309 crore as Central aid.
In June 2025, five hydrogen fuel cell buses were flagged off in Leh, the first commercial deployment of hydrogen-powered public transport in India, and among the highest-altitude in the world.
Commercial cultivation of medicinal plants will begin in Ladakh at altitudes exceeding 15,000 feet, including the life-saving “Sanjeevani Booti” (locally “Sola”) with powerful therapeutic properties.