India, May 4 -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Sunday said it will back USD 70 billion in new energy and digital infrastructure initiatives across Asia and the Pacific by 2035, aimed at strengthening cross-border connectivity and expanding access to electricity and broadband.

Energy and digital access will play a defining role in shaping the region's future, adding that the initiatives seek to link power grids and digital networks to lower costs and expand opportunities, ADB President Masato Kanda said while speaking to the media at the 59th annual meeting of the bank here.

The bank announced two major programmes - the Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative and the Asia-Pacific Digital Highway - with proposed investments of USD 50 billion ...