NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India has approved 55.6 billion rupees ($774 million) in federal support for a natural gas pipeline in the northeast part of the country, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Wednesday.

The 1,656 kilometre (1,029 mile) pipeline is part of a national gas grid which India is building to connect remote locations.

The project will cost up to 92.65 billion rupees, Pradhan said.

“India is ready to face challenges from the current geopolitical issues in the Middle East,” Pradhan said, referring to the current escalation of tensions between the U.S. and Iran.