India: World Bank Approves Three Projects Assam State to Increase Access to Markets, Jobs and Services

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2026 -The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors today approved three projects to help the Indian state of Assam increase resilience to extreme weather events, improve governance and service delivery, and provide more than 4 million students with the skills they need to succeed in the workforce.

Assam, located in India's northeast, is uniquely positioned as the gateway to Southeast Asia, offering strategic connectivity for regional trade and integration. At the same time, Assam faces challenges such as climate vulnerability, inadequate infrastructure, and multidimensional poverty, which hinder inclusive growth.

"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 Assam Disaster Resilient Hill Roads Development Project ($350 million) will help build climate-resilient roads, especially in hilly areas, and reduce travel time for some 190,000 people in tribal and rural communities. The project will improve connectivity in the Northeastern region of the state with improved transport and logistics hubs that have truck bays, container bays, taxi and bus bays, and electric vehicle charging points.

"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, the task team leaders of the project. "The project will help more than 50,000 youth gain access to jobs through improved roads and services."

The Assam: School Education and Adolescent Wellbeing Project ($250 million) will help improve learning outcomes for more than 2 million primary school students across the state and prepare another 2 million adolescents (ages 10-19) for jobs with life-skills training and enhanced curriculum, including multilingual classes.

"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, the 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 Assam Governance and Service Delivery Program ($80 million) will help strengthen public financial management, including the allocation and spending of public resources, delivery of administrative services to both people and businesses and the data ecosystem in Assam.

"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, the task team leaders of the program.

The Assam Disaster Resilient Hill Roads Development Project has a final maturity of 16 years including a grace period of three years; the Assam: School Education and Adolescent Wellbeing Project has a final maturity of 16 years including a grace period of three years; and the Assam Governance and Service Delivery Program for Results has a final maturity of 16 years including a grace period of three years.