Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday underlined the rapid transformation of Northeast India, declaring that they have graduated from being a “frontier” to becoming the “front-runner” in the nation’s growth story. In a repost on X of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s detailed article, Mr Modi highlighted the region’s newfound significance in India’s $30-trillion Viksit Bharat vision.
“Northeast India is no longer a frontier, it’s the front-runner,” the Prime Minister’s Office quoted Mr Modi as saying.
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Policy Push and Investment
Over the past two years, the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) and partner ministries have fast-tracked projects to close long-standing infrastructure gaps:
- Road & Rail Connectivity: Under the Amrit Bharat scheme, 15 railway stations have been modernized, and semi-high-speed trains now operate on the Guwahati–Lumding sector.
- Digital Access: The BharatNet programme has extended high-speed broadband to over 1,200 Gram Panchayats, enabling telemedicine and e-education in remote areas.
- Cross-Border Trade: Operational border haats in Meghalaya and Mizoram have formalized local trade worth more than ₹1,200 crore with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
At the 2024 Northeast Investors’ Meet, the region attracted proposals totalling more than ₹4.3 lakh crore, spanning sectors such as agro-processing, renewable energy, and tourism. A new single-window clearance mechanism has slashed project approval times from 120 days to just 30 days, while tax incentives under the North Eastern Region Investment Promotion Act aim to de-risk private investment.
Strategic Gateway to ASEAN
Geographically contiguous with Southeast Asia, the Northeast is central to India’s Act East Policy. Completion of key corridors—such as the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway—and the Bengtol–Jogighopa bridge has cut travel times to ports on the Bay of Bengal by several hours, positioning the region as a vital link in trans-continental supply chains.
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Inclusive Growth and Skill Development
Beyond hard-infrastructure, skill‐development initiatives under Skill India have trained over 50,000 youth in logistics, hospitality, and digital services. Cultural events like the North East Festival series have boosted annual tourism footfalls by 35 percent between 2022 and 2024, creating new livelihoods in homestays, handicrafts, and eco-tourism.
What Lies Ahead
To sustain this momentum, stakeholders are focusing on:
- Multi-Modal Industrial Parks: Setting up agro-processing and IT clusters in Assam, Nagaland, and Tripura under PPP models.
- Enhanced Air Links: Adding 25 new UDAN routes and upgrading Imphal airport for wider-body aircraft.
- Green Energy: Rolling out solar micro-grids in tribal hamlets and evaluating pumped-storage hydro projects.
- 5G Pilots: Launching 5G-enabled remote healthcare and smart agriculture trials across state capitals.
The Road to Viksit Bharat
With the Prime Minister’s endorsement of Scindia’s analysis, the Northeast’s narrative has shifted decisively. Once held back by geography and security challenges, the region is now central to national and regional development. Continued policy coherence, timely project execution, and community engagement will be crucial to ensuring that Northeast India fully realizes its potential as India’s front-runner.