The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, yesterday has approved construction of 4-Lane Access-Controlled Greenfield connectivity from Gohpur on NH-15 to Numaligarh on 715 section including 15.79 Km. of Road cum Rail Tunnel under River Brahmaputra to be developed at a total capital cost of Rs.18,662 crore in Assam on Engineering procurement Construction (EPC).

Currently, connectivity between Numaligarh on NH715 and Gohpur on NH-15 is 240 Km. from existing Kaliabhambhora road bridge near Silghat on NH-52 which takes 6 Hours passing through Numaligarh, Kaziranga National park and Biswanath Town. To address these challenges, the project is proposed to be developed as 4-Lane Access-Controlled Greenfield connectivity from Gohpur on NH-15 to Numaligarh with Road cum Rail tunnel below the river Brahmaputra river. This would be first underwater Road cum Rail tunnel in the India and 2nd in world. The project will provide significant benefit to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and other North -Eastern States. This will enhance the efficiency of freight movement, reducing logistics cost and driving socio-economic growth in the region.

The project alignment integrates with 02 major National Highways (NH-15 and NH-715) and 02 Railway lines i.e. Rangia-Mukongselek Railway Section under Rangia Division of NFR on Gohpur Side and Furkating-Mariani loop line section under Tinsukia Division of NFR on Numaligarh side. The project providing seamless connectivity to key economic, social, and logistics nodes across Assam. Additionally, the project will enhance multi-modal integration by connecting with 11 Economic Nodes, 03 Social Nodes, 02 Tourist nodes and 08 Logistic Nodes, providing enhanced connectivity with 04 Major Railway Station, 02 Airport, and 2 inland water way thereby facilitating faster movement of goods and passengers across the region.

Upon completion, the project will play a pivotal role in strategic considerations, regional economic growth, strengthening connectivity between major economic centers and opening new avenues for trade and industrial development. The project will also generate approximately 80 Lakhs person-days of direct and indirect employment, and will open new avenues of growth, development and prosperity in surrounding regions.

Map of Corridor:

Project Details

Feature

Details

Project Name

Construction of Twin Tube TBM road Underwater tunnel 2 Lane each under River Brahmaputra along with provision of Railway infrastructure in one of the tubes, in the state of Assam on EPC Mode with total length of project as 33.7 Km.

Corridor

Gohpur on NH-15 – Numaligarh on NH-715 

Length (km)

33.7 Km.

Total Civil Cost (Rs Cr.)

11,982.36 Cr.

Land Acquisition Cost (Rs Cr.)

716.65

Total Capital Cost (Rs Cr.)

18,662.02

Mode

Engineering Procurement Construction  (EPC).

Project Length

Instant Project of Length 33.77 Km.

Twin Tube TBM Tunnel with Railway in one of the tubes

 

15.79 Km.

Total Road cut & cover

1.26 Km.

Total Rail cut & cover 

4 Km.

Major Roads Connected

National Highways – NH-15 & NH715

 

Rail Line connected

Rangia-Mukongselek Railway Section under Rangia Division of NFR on Gohpur Side

 

Furkating-Mariani loop line section under Tinsukia Division of NFR on Numaligarh side

Economic / Social / Transport Nodes Connected

Airports (02 ) : Dony Paulo Holongi Airport Itanagar and  Tezpur Airport

Railway Stations (04) : Numaligarh Railway Station, Gohpur Railway Station, Golaghat Town Railway Station, Simaluguri Junction

Inland Water way Terminals (02): Biswanath Ghat  Water way terminal, Tezpur Water way terminal

 

Economic Nodes (11) : Numaligarh Industrial Area, Jorhat DIC, IIDC Titabor, Industrial Area Junakinagar, Industrial Estate Nagaon, IIDC Demow, Industrial Estate Sivasagar, IIDC Naltali, Industrial Area Dolabari, Mini Industrial Area Biswanath, MMLP Jogighopa.

Social Nodes (03) : 1 Tribal district – Dima Hasao; 02 Aspirations Districts-Udalguri & Darrang

Tourist Nodes  (02) : Kaziranga National Park  & Deopahar Archaeological Site

Major Cities / Towns Connected

Numaligarh, Tezpur, Gohpur  Dibrugarh in Assam  & Itanagar In Arunachal Pradesh

Employment Generation Potential

80 Lakhs Man-Days of Direct & In-direct

Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) in FY-25

Estimated at 4680 Passenger Car Units (PCU)

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Cabinet approves Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 to Mobilize Venture Capital for India’s Startup Ecosystem
February 14, 2026
Rs. 10,000 crore corpus to support deep tech, tech-driven innovative manufacturing startups, and early-growth stage startups

In a major boost to India’s growing startup ecosystem, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the establishment of the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 (Startup India FoF 2.0) with a total corpus of Rs. 10,000 crore for the purpose of mobilizing venture capital for the startup ecosystem of the country.

The Scheme is designed to accelerate the next phase of India’s startup journey by mobilising long-term domestic capital, strengthening the venture capital ecosystem, and supporting innovation-led entrepreneurship across the country.

Launched under the Startup India initiative, Startup India FoF 2.0 builds on nearly a decade of sustained efforts to make India one of the world’s leading startup nations. Since the launch of Startup India in 2016, India’s startup ecosystem has witnessed an extraordinary transformation growing from fewer than 500 startups to over 2 lakh Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)-recognised startups today, with 2025 marking the highest ever annual startup registrations.

Building on Fund of Funds for Startups 1.0

The Startup India FoF 2.0 follows the strong performance of the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS 1.0), which was launched in 2016 to address funding gaps and catalyse the domestic venture capital market for startups.

Under FFS 1.0, the entire corpus of Rs. 10,000 crore has been committed to 145 Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs). Such supported AIFs have invested over Rs. 25,500 crore in more than 1,370 startups across the country in sectors such as agriculture, artificial intelligence, robotics, automotive, clean tech, consumer goods & services, e-commerce, education, fintech, food & beverages, healthcare, manufacturing, space tech, and biotechnology amongst others.

FFS 1.0 played a pivotal role in nurturing first-time founders, crowding in private capital, and helping build a strong foundation for India’s venture capital ecosystem.

Key Features of the Scheme:

While the first phase built the ecosystem, Startup India FoF 2.0 is designed to take Indian innovation to the next level. The new fund will have a targeted, segmented funding approach to support:

  1. Deep tech and tech-driven innovative manufacturing: Prioritizing breakthroughs in high-tech areas that require patient, long-term capital.
  2. Empowering early-growth stage founders: Providing a safety net for new and innovative ideas, reducing early-stage failures caused by lack of funding.
  3. National reach: Encouraging investment beyond major metros so that, the innovation thrives in every corner of the country.
  4. Designed to address high‑risk capital gaps: Directing greater capital to priority areas which are important for self-reliance and boosting economic growth.
  5. Strengthen India’s domestic venture capital base, particularly smaller funds to further boost the domestic investment landscape.

Startup India FoF 2.0 is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping India’s economic trajectory, leading to transformational impact.

Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 is expected to play a critical role in advancing India’s innovation-led growth agenda. By supporting startups that build globally competitive technologies, products, and solutions, the Fund will contribute to strengthening India’s economic resilience, boosting manufacturing capabilities, generating high-quality jobs, and positioning India as a global innovation hub.

Aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, the Fund represents the Government’s continued commitment to empowering entrepreneurs, fostering innovation, and unlocking the full potential of India’s startup ecosystem.