The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of India have inked USD 484 million loan to improve transport connectivity and facilitate industrial development in the Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) in the state of Tamil Nadu.
CKIC is part of India’s East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC), which stretches from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu and connects India to the production networks of South, South-East, and East Asia.
ADB is the lead partner of the government of India in developing ECEC. The project is key to providing seamless road connectivity across industrial clusters, transport gateways and consumption centres, and help reduce logistics and production costs for CKIC’s targeted industries to boost their competitiveness.
The project is part of the priority infrastructure projects identified for corridor development under the ADB-supported CKIC comprehensive development plan.
The project will upgrade around 590 km of state highways in the CKIC influence areas that cover 23 of 32 districts between Chennai and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
In line with Strategy 2030, ADB’s long-term corporate strategy, the project emphasises sustainability, climate change resilience and road safety elements.
The project will also strengthen road safety improvement programmes through advanced technologies for road monitoring and enforcement.
In addition, the project will help improve the planning capacity of Tamil Nadu’s Highways and Minor Ports Department.
The road projects are part of the ‘Act East Policy’ of the government wherein special emphasis is being laid on the overall development of the border areas
