As an American married to an Indian and living in Kunming, I'd say "it's high time to rebuild the Stilwell Road!".

While Southeast Asia flourishes due, in large part, to free trade with China and open overland trade, India (while having many goods and services to offer China in return) is still trying to decide if it will play (by the time India decides, it may be too late... others will have benefited). With the 2nd largest economy in the world at your doorstep, an isolationist mentality is not going to help India (at a time when it's own economy is also starting to take off and has a lot to offer).

Kunming is becoming a hub for trade with Southeast Asia and potentially with South Asia as well. Southeast Asia's trade with China has been flourishing in recent years, in large part due to more open borders and road links... with plans to build the bullet-train from Kunming to Singapore, this will only improve.

Kunming's new airport (the 4th largest airport in China) is only 1 hour flight away from India's closest Int'l airport at Guwahati (in NE India), but no flight exists yet... why not? High time for India to get on-board and start letting it's citizens enjoy the prosperity that is coming to Asia... and the Stilwell Road will be mutually beneficial as two of Asia's economic powerhouses open it to trade.