India’s Northeast has struggled with underdevelopment for decades – due to poor connectivity, cultural isolation, and other crucial factors. Moreover, its proximity to friendly – and not so friendly – neighbours such as China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan makes it a geopolitical hotbed. It takes a wise leader to understand the importance of integrating this sensitive region.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to correct this ‘gap’ between the Northeast and New Delhi. PM Modi has carried forward the vision of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who saw the necessity of integrating the region with the rest of India. Vajpayee set up the DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) ministry in 2001 – which became a full-fledged ministry in 2004 – to ensure equitable development and progress in these far-flung but strategically important states. The Rising Northeast Investors Summit 2025, held recently at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, highlighted the current government’s determination to ensure that Guwahati, Agartala, Imphal, and Shillong become the Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad of the Northeast.
As PM Modi put it, “For us, EAST is not just a direction—it is a vision: Empower, Act, Strengthen, and Transform. This is the guiding framework of our policy for Eastern India.”
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Historical importance
Home to over 200 tribes, Northeast India is a culturally, ethnically, and linguistically rich region. I have regularly travelled to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur – both as a Minister of State and a BJP party worker – and have been deeply fascinated by the diversity and traditions I encountered on each visit. On a recent trip to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh, I was welcomed warmly by the Adi and Galo tribes. The Galo people presented me with a beautiful handwoven wrap-around half-sari, showcasing the region’s cultural heritage.
The early years after Independence saw unrest and insurgency due to perceived neglect and alienation, leading to the formation of Nagaland in 1963, and Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya in 1972. Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram became full-fledged states in 1987.
The unrest, however, continued. Armed separatist groups such as the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) created immense disturbance in the region with support from across the border. Under the present NDA government, many challenges related to insurgency have been handled firmly, and any attempt to create conflict will be handled resolutely and responsibly. Migration from Bangladesh, for instance, has continually reshaped Assam and Tripura’s demographics. But BJP-backed initiatives such as the National Register of Citizens (NRC) have brought tentative stability.
Corridor to Southeast Asia
Alliances such as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) have increased the strategic importance of the Northeastern Region, which, in line with the Look East /Act East Policy, serves as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia. Regional connectivity, through various development corridors such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, is removing traditional barriers to regional trade.
As revealed at the Northeast investors summit, the Modi government plans to boost economic integration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and increase trade from $125 billion to $200 billion in the next 10 years. Existing Initiatives such as the Mekong Ganga Cooperation support this vision, aiming to promote tourism, culture, and education between India, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar. Additionally, the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement, the protocol for which was recently finalised, seeks to provide a seamless way for vehicles to travel across borders, greatly benefiting regional supply chains.
Also read: Modi’s yoga mat to Nagaland honey, NECTAR is taking Northeast to Japan, Netherlands
Boosting infrastructure
Infrastructure development in the Northeast has increased by leaps and bounds in the last decade or so. At the 2025 investors summit, my former colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia, who also leads the DoNER ministry, praised PM Modi’s commitment to the region. Under the PM’s leadership, “the ministry has created eight high-level task forces across key sectors such as agriculture, sports, investment promotion, tourism, economic corridors, infrastructure, textiles and handicrafts, and animal husbandry, allowing each state to chart its own roadmap,” Scindia said.
National highways in the region have expanded to over 16,000 km, while airports have nearly doubled — from nine to 17 — between 2014 and 2024. Waterways, too, are being rapidly developed as an alternative form of transportation. Of special significance is Bogibeel, India’s longest rail-road bridge, which was inaugurated with great fanfare by previous governments but kept missing completion deadlines. The work was finally expedited and finished under PM Modi in 2018.
I recently travelled from Assam to Arunachal on this bridge, which is an engineering marvel – a magnificent 4.94 km rail and road bridge over the Brahmaputra River, designed to withstand earthquakes. This bridge has significantly reduced travel time and gives increased accessibility to the border areas of Tibet via Arunachal. Another engineering feat is the all-weather Sela Tunnel, which provides year-round connectivity between Guwahati in Assam and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Rail projects worth Rs 88,000 crore will boost connectivity in the region; Assam even got its first Vande Bharat Train in 2023. A portion of the Agartala-Akhaura rail line was inaugurated in November that year.
The Tata group, on the other hand, is in the process of setting up a semiconductor plant in Assam, with an investment of Rs 27,000 crore. Regular investor summits are being held all over the country to persuade national and international investors to set up their manufacturing plants in the region.
My frequent trips to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Meghalaya have deepened my respect for Northeastern people. It is clear that they want to be a part of Viksit Bharat 2047 and do not wish to be left behind. I recently interacted with inspirational youth leader Tana Jiri, whose speech on One Nation, One Election, motivated local youth to play an active role in initiating positive change. An advocate for youth rights, Jiri embodies the young generation that wants to participate in the development of India through initiatives such as Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat, and the Apun Bahen Scheme. These youngsters are motivated and open-minded, and are happy to adapt to the three-language policy.
It is apparent that our forward-thinking PM Modi has a vision for the greatly neglected Northeast states, which he has referred to as India’s ‘Ashtalakshmi’ – eight manifestations of Goddess Lakshmi. The region, rich in minerals, bamboo, and tea and home to sporting legends such as Mary Kom and Baichung Bhutia, is an emerging hub for aspirational India. Rather than neglecting this important corner of the country, PM Modi has fulfilled his promise of taking India, in its entirety, into the future.
Meenakashi Lekhi is a BJP leader, lawyer and social activist. Her X handle is @M_Lekhi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)