North East: Emerging Growth Hub

Prime Minister inaugurated the ?8,000 crore Bairabi–Sairang railway line in Mizoram, connecting Aizawl to the national rail network for the first time, alongside several infrastructure projects across Northeast India.

From Frontier to Front-Runner: Northeast’s Transformation under Act East Policy

Historical Neglect vs. Contemporary Focus

• Earlier Status: The Northeast was long treated as a peripheral “frontier region” with weak connectivity and limited integration with the national economy.
• Shift in Approach: Post-2014, with the Act East Policy, the region is seen as central to India’s growth, connectivity, and strategic positioning.

Major Infrastructure Push

• Railways
  • Railway budget for NE since 2014: ?62,477 crore, including ?10,440 crore in 2025–26.
  • Bairabi–Sairang railway line: ?8,000 crore, 51 km, 143 bridges, 45 tunnels – engineering milestone, connects Aizawl to national rail grid.
  • Ongoing projects worth ?77,000 crore (Jiribam–Imphal, Dimapur–Kohima).
• Highways and Roads
  • 16,207 km of National Highways constructed till July 2025.
  • PMGSY: 16,469 road works covering 80,933 km and 2,108 bridges completed.
  • New road projects under NESIDS and PM-DevINE (e.g., Aizawl Bypass, Chhimtuipui River Bridge).
• Air Connectivity
  • UDAN Scheme operational in NE – linking underserved airports and heliports.
• Digital Infrastructure
  • BharatNet& Digital Bharat Nidhi initiatives improving Gram Panchayat-level internet access.
  • Mobile towers established across remote districts.

Development Schemes and Investments

• PM-DevINE (?6,600 crore, 2022–26)
  • Focus: Convergent infrastructure, social development, youth & women livelihood opportunities.
• North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS)
  • Roads: Gap funding for strategic and market-access roads.
  • Others: Covers healthcare, education, power, water, waste management, industrial development.
• North Eastern Council (NEC) Schemes
  • Promotes bamboo, piggery, tourism, higher education, healthcare, livelihood generation.
• Special Development Packages (2025)
  • ?4,250 crore outlay (?4,000 crore for Assam, ?250 crore for Tripura).
• Rising Northeast Investors Summit 2025
  • ?4.48 lakh crore investment interest in energy, agro-processing, textiles, healthcare, IT, logistics.

Strategic & Geopolitical Dimensions

• Act East Policy: NE as India’s gateway to ASEAN.
• Kaladan Multimodal Transit Project: Enhances connectivity to Myanmar and beyond.
• Security Dimension: Infrastructure strengthens border management and reduces alienation.

Socio-Economic Impact

• Agriculture & Local Produce: Improved freight corridors open markets for bamboo, horticulture, and tea.
• Tourism: Enhanced air, rail, road connectivity fosters eco-tourism and cultural tourism.
• Employment: Large construction projects and industrial clusters creating jobs.
• Social Integration: Enhanced mobility reduces isolation, supports nation-building.

Challenges

• Geographical Barriers: Difficult terrain, high cost of construction (bridges, tunnels).
• Insurgency and Security: Though reduced, still poses risks.
• Environmental Concerns: Deforestation, landslides, and ecological fragility.
• Implementation Gaps: Delays in land acquisition, inter-agency coordination.

Way Forward

• Sustainable Development: Balance infrastructure expansion with ecological safeguards.
• Skill Development: Train local youth for emerging opportunities in logistics, tourism, IT.
• Community Engagement: Ensure projects are inclusive, culturally sensitive.
• Cross-Border Integration: Maximise opportunities through BIMSTEC, BBIN, and ASEAN linkages.
• Resilience Planning: Climate-resilient infrastructure for floods, earthquakes, and landslides.