The World Bank has approved three projects worth $680 million to strengthen Assam’s resilience to extreme weather, improve governance and service delivery, and equip over four million students with skills needed for employment.
Cleared by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on January 13, the projects focus on climate-resilient infrastructure, school education and adolescent wellbeing, and public financial management, aiming to unlock Assam’s economic potential while addressing long-standing development gaps.
Assam’s strategic position as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia offers significant opportunities for trade and regional integration. However, climate vulnerability, weak infrastructure and multidimensional poverty continue to constrain inclusive growth across the northeastern state.
“Smart development builds communities’ resilience to extreme weather events. A well-constructed road and school keep learning uninterrupted, and helps people access markets and boost incomes,” said Paul Procee, Acting Country Director, World Bank India. “By investing in Assam and improving logistics, climate-resilient infrastructure, and human capital, the projects can catalyze private sector development, enhance regional value chains, and foster long-term prosperity in a high-potential yet underserved region.”
The largest component, the $350 million Assam Disaster Resilient Hill Roads Development Project, aims to construct climate-resilient roads, particularly in hilly terrain, reducing travel time for around 190,000 people in tribal and rural areas. The project will also strengthen transport and logistics hubs with facilities such as truck and container bays, taxi and bus terminals, and electric vehicle charging points.
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“The lack of all-weather roads in Assam restricts the access of people living in rural areas to markets and technology,” said Tesfamichael Mitiku, Iguniwari Ekeu-Wei and Vijetha Bezzam, task team leaders of the project. “The project will help more than 50,000 youth gain access to jobs through improved roads and services.”
Another $250 million has been sanctioned for the Assam: School Education and Adolescent Wellbeing Project, which seeks to improve learning outcomes for over two million primary school students and prepare an additional two million adolescents aged 10 to 19 for employment through life-skills training and curriculum reforms, including multilingual education.
“A continuum of services at each stage of education builds foundational skills and prepares youth for jobs and livelihoods,” said Meghna Sharma and Pravesh Kumar, task team leaders of the project. “The project will support the building and improvement of more climate-resilient schools to ensure last-mile connectivity for students and better prepare them to enter the workforce.”
The third initiative, the $80 million Assam Governance and Service Delivery Program, will focus on strengthening public financial management, improving the delivery of administrative services to citizens and businesses, and enhancing the state’s data ecosystem.
“Building on previous World Bank-supported governance projects in Assam, this program will support improved service delivery through sustainable public finance, as well as strengthen information and data for policymakers to make swift and timely decisions,” said Tanya Gupta and Shreya Dutt Mishra, task team leaders of the programme.
All three projects carry a final maturity period of 16 years, including a grace period of three years.
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