On April 24, 2026, in Thimphu, Bhutan, Project DANTAK of the Border Roads Organization (BRO) celebrated its 66th Raising Day, commemorating 65 years of devoted service in the Kingdom since its founding in April 1961. The event highlighted India’s and Bhutan’s unwavering commitment to fortifying their partnership. Several activities honoring both community involvement and professional excellence are taking place to commemorate Raising Day.
These include an interschool quiz tournament in Thimpu, a mournful memorial to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and a celebration of exceptional people. From building Bhutan’s first motorable road to creating vital national infrastructure, Project DANTAK has grown into a pillar of connectivity and growth throughout the nation and was crucial to the country’s socioeconomic change. More than 1,500 km of roads have been built as part of this project, including the strategically important East-West Highway that links Trashigang and Thimphu.
It played a key role in the construction of the Yongphula Airport, the Paro International Airport, and the Phuentsholing–Thimphu Highway. Additionally, it has made significant contributions to the construction of hospitals, schools, telecommunications networks, bridges, hydropower infrastructure, and other essential institutional buildings throughout Bhutan.
Project DANTAK has recently concentrated on modernization and capacity enhancement, including the double laning of vital road segments like the nearly 168-kilometer Samdrup Jongkhar–Trashigang highway and Confluence–Haa (Phase I opened on August 1, 2025), which greatly improves travel time, safety, and connectivity. Additionally, amid natural disasters like significant landslides and road washouts, the Project has shown remarkable resilience by reestablishing connectivity in record time.
As a result, Project DANTAK continues to carry out strategically significant projects throughout Bhutan, such as building and upgrading roads in the Nganglam–Dewathang, Samrang–Jomotsangkha, and Khotakpa–Tshobaley regions in the southeast, strengthening highways along the Damchu–Chhukha axis, building bridges, and developing alternate alignments in the Panbang–Nganglam and Dewathang–Samdrupcholing regions. These programs continue to be in line with Bhutan’s environmental concerns and developmental aspirations.
On November 11, 2025, Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi traveled to Bhutan, where both countries reiterated their commitment to strengthening their friendship and cooperation. The contributions made by Project DANTAK over the years continue to be strongly associated with this attitude of collaboration and advancement.