Since 2019, the government has cited 12 significant peace agreements involving groups and communities across the region, including the NLFT, Bru-Reang, Bodo, Karbi, DNLA.
A road reaching a remote village, a railway line entering a previously isolated region, a mobile tower rising above a forested landscape or a school opening its doors to tribal children can say as much about national security as a security post can.
Across India’s historically conflict-affected regions, the meaning of security is increasingly being measured not only through the reduction of violence, but through the expansion of connectivity, livelihoods, public services and economic opportunity.
This shift is visible across three major theatres that have shaped India’s internal-security landscape for decades: Jammu and Kashmir, Left-Wing Extremism-affected areas and the North East.
Their circumstances and histories are different, yet the development approach increasingly follows a common principle — security creates the space for development, while development strengthens the social and economic foundations of lasting stability.
The results are increasingly visible.
Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing an expansion of tourism, infrastructure and investment; the former Red Corridor has reached a historic stage in the reduction of Left-Wing Extremism; and the North East is being repositioned through peace agreements, connectivity and the Act East Policy as a bridge between India and Southeast Asia.
Security and development become one strategic framework
India’s evolving approach is built around the idea that security cannot remain detached from governance and welfare. The experience of LWE illustrates this most explicitly.
The Government’s National Policy and Action Plan, introduced in 2015, brought security operations, development programmes, infrastructure creation and rehabilitation into a coordinated framework.
The latest government assessment says India became effectively free from Left-Wing Extremism on March 31, 2026.
The number of LWE-affected districts fell from 126 in 2014 to two in 2026, while the number of most-affected districts declined from 35 to zero. LWE-related incidents fell from 870 in 2014 to 234 in 2025, while fatalities declined from 310 to 100. ¹
The three pillars described by the government — Vishwaas, Nirman and Jan Kalyan — illustrate the wider model. Vishwaas centres on restoring confidence through security, rehabilitation and community engagement.
Nirman focuses on roads, telecommunications, banking and infrastructure. Jan Kalyan brings welfare, education, healthcare, livelihoods and dignity into the same development chain. ¹
The importance of this framework extends beyond the former Red Corridor because similar principles are visible in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East: strengthen security, expand state capacity, improve connectivity and ensure that development reaches communities at the last mile.
Jammu and Kashmir: From security stability to economic activity
Jammu and Kashmir offers one of the clearest examples of how security improvements can create room for wider economic and social activity.
Government data show that organised strikes and shutdowns declined from 52 incidents in 2018 to zero between 2023 and April 2026.
More than 41,000 government jobs were created between 2019 and May 2026, while more than 9.81 lakh people received self-employment opportunities through government-supported schemes over the preceding four years. ²
Tourism has emerged as a particularly visible indicator of this transformation. Jammu and Kashmir recorded more than 2.3 crore tourist arrivals in 2024, the highest number in its recorded history, according to a government assessment.
Investment has also expanded, with approximately $2 billion (INR 18,000 crore) flowing into the region between 2016-17 and 2025-26, compared with around $870 million (INR 8,000 crore) over the preceding seven decades. ²
Infrastructure is reinforcing this economic opening. In February 2026, the Cabinet approved a major expansion of Srinagar International Airport, including a new terminal designed to handle up to 10 million passengers annually.
The breakthrough of the main tunnel of the Zojila Tunnel in June 2026 is another major milestone, aimed at strengthening all-weather connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh while supporting tourism, trade and strategic mobility. ³
Rural connectivity is advancing simultaneously. In April 2026, the Centre approved a new set of PMGSY-IV projects for Jammu and Kashmir, alongside major support for rural livelihoods and women-led self-help groups. ⁴
The emerging pattern is clear: security stability is being accompanied by roads, aviation, tourism, employment, agriculture and financial inclusion, allowing Jammu and Kashmir to participate more deeply in the national economy.
Red Corridor’s transformation into development corridors
The LWE story demonstrates perhaps the most direct relationship between security operations and development saturation.
Since 2014, more than 12,249 kilometres of roads have been constructed in LWE-affected areas, while projects covering another 17,319 kilometres have been approved. More than 9,600 mobile towers have also been established, bringing mobile connectivity to 96 percent of villages in the most affected areas. ¹
Financial inclusion has expanded alongside physical connectivity. Between April 2015 and March 2026, 1,804 bank branches, 1,321 ATMs, 74,720 banking correspondents and 6,025 post offices were established in LWE-affected districts.
The expansion of formal financial services has given remote communities greater access to banking, welfare transfers and economic activity. ¹
Education and skills have become another pillar. The government has sanctioned 259 Eklavya Model Residential Schools, of which 179 have been developed, alongside 46 Industrial Training Institutes and 49 Skill Development Centres. More than 90,000 young people and women have received skill training. ¹
The surrender and rehabilitation framework complements this development push.
In 2025, 2,337 Naxalites surrendered, while 3,927 cadres surrendered between 2024 and March 2026. Rehabilitation packages combine financial support with skills, housing and livelihood opportunities, helping former cadres and their families reconnect with mainstream economic and social life. ¹
The transformation therefore runs in both directions: improved security permits infrastructure and welfare to reach deeper into remote areas, while better roads, schools, communications, banking and employment strengthen the presence of civilian governance.
North East: Peace agreements open the door to connectivity
In the North East, the model has relied particularly strongly on dialogue, peace agreements, rehabilitation and economic integration.
Since 2019, the government has cited 12 significant peace agreements involving groups and communities across the region, including the NLFT, Bru-Reang, Bodo, Karbi, DNLA.
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