Five years ago, on June 15, 2020, India lost 20 of its soldiers in a clash with China in East Ladakh. An incident that not only defined India-China relations, but also gave speed to a full series of reforms in India’s defense status and strategic plan over the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Impact on India-China relations
In the clash in the Galwan, Indian soldiers retaliated without arms under the current protocol, which also caused a lot of damage to the Chinese side. But with this clash, the trust between the two neighbors completely ended.
In the following years, India has significantly strengthened its military preparations. Confirm the infrastructure on the border and has increased diplomatic engagement. The Indian armed forces have provided warfare equipment in the rapid deployment of soldiers as well as in height areas. Especially in eastern Ladakh, its presence on LAC has increased. Emergency procurement provisions were implemented to expedite defense acquisition, including surveillance systems, UAVs, artillery and medical facilities for inaccessible areas.
Increased vigilance after dalwan
Taking a lesson from the incident of Galwan, India has worked fast in the expansion of the infrastructure. In the Union Budget of FY 2025-26, Rs 6.81 lakh crore was allocated to the Ministry of Defense, which is 9.53% more than the previous year. Out of this, Rs 7,146 crore was separated for the Border Roads Organization (BRO), which has completed 75 projects worth Rs 2,236 crore in 2024 alone.
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These include roads and bridges in strategic areas like Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh. The previous achievements of BRO include Umalinga La (19,024 ft), the world’s tallest motrable road, Nyoma Airfield and Shinku La Tunnel.
4G network to remote areas
In the last five years, there has been a change in the digital landscape of LAC. Under the joint initiative of the Indian Army and Bharti Airtel, remote villages of Ladakh, including Galwan and Demchok, were connected to the 4G network. The move revealed access to telemedicine, digital education and government schemes, which is likely to improve tourism and local livelihood.
Since 2020, India-China has had more than 30 rounds of talks on the diplomatic front. India and China have held 21 rounds of core commander-level talk and WMCC meetings for coordination. Dysingments have been done on many issues of dispute. Galwan in July 2020, Pangong Tso in February 2021, PP17A (Gogra-Hot Springs) in August 2021, PP15 in September 2022 and Damchok and Dopsang in October 2024 have been discussed in October 2022.
Trust in China decreased
High level diplomatic meetings were also released. On June 12, 2025, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Sun Wedong in Delhi to discuss bilateral relations, association with people and reopening direct air services. The talks included the progress to resume hydrological data sharing and finalize an air service agreement. Discussions have also been held on the occasion of the completion of 75 years of visa facility, media exchange and India-China diplomatic relations.
Despite the disadvantage, India remains cautious. Major General Ashok Kumar (Retired), Director General of Center for Joint Warfare Studies, says, ‘Galwan was a significant turn. This shattered the trust on Chinese political and military leadership. India’s vigilance on LAC is now permanent.
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India’s response to the Galwan is being seen as a comprehensive change. It is important not only in defense and diplomacy but also to redefine the strategic mathematics of border management. This clash, which is now recorded in history, has ensured that India is no longer reactive but pro-active in terms of preparation, infrastructure and international situation.