“The future of the Northeast is not a story waiting to be written; it is a story already unfolding,” says Sitharaman
Shillong, June 19: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday unveiled an eight-point roadmap for the Northeast’s next phase of development, asserting that the region will be central to India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day conference on Leveraging Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) in the North-Eastern States in Shillong, Sitharaman said the Northeast had moved from the margins to the mainstream of India’s development agenda and was now entering a decisive phase where strong institutions, implementation capacity and partnerships would be as important as investments.
The inaugural session was attended by Conrad K. Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya; Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam; Lalduhoma, Chief Minister of Mizoram; Dr. Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister of Nagaland; Prem Singh Tamang, Chief Minister of Sikkim; and Dr. Manik Saha, Chief Minister of Tripura, along with senior officials from the Government of India, representatives of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), New Development Bank (NDB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), NITI Aayog and other development institutions.
“The Northeast is entering a decisive phase of development where stronger institutions, implementation capacity and partnerships are as important as investments,” the Finance Minister said, adding that the region would play a pivotal role in realising the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Laying out what she described as the key enablers of the region’s future growth, Sitharaman highlighted leadership, institutional capacity, human capital, women-led development, strategic financing, private investment, connectivity and partnerships as the eight pillars that would drive the Northeast’s transformation.
She said alignment between the Centre and state governments had emerged as a critical factor in accelerating development outcomes and strengthening public confidence. Equally important, she noted, was the need to build stronger institutions capable of effective planning, implementation, monitoring and service delivery.
Highlighting the Northeast’s demographic strengths, Sitharaman described its youth population, entrepreneurial energy and emerging women leaders as major assets for the region’s future. She called for greater investment in education, skills and human capital, while reiterating the Centre’s commitment to women-led development as a cornerstone of inclusive growth.
The Finance Minister also urged Northeastern states to make strategic use of externally aided projects, not merely as sources of funding but as vehicles for accessing global expertise, innovation and best practices. Externally aided projects supported by multilateral and bilateral agencies have become a major source of development financing for the region, backing investments in infrastructure, connectivity, livelihoods and social sectors.
Identifying private investment as another key growth driver, Sitharaman pointed to opportunities in tourism, logistics, agribusiness, food processing, renewable energy, digital services, manufacturing and the orange economy. Investments in these sectors, she said, could generate employment, enhance value addition and create sustainable livelihoods across the region.
She also underlined the transformative impact of ongoing investments in transport, digital and power infrastructure, saying improved connectivity was linking people, markets and opportunities while strengthening India’s Act East Policy.
Describing the Northeast’s rich ecological and cultural heritage as a strategic advantage, the Minister said the region was well positioned to emerge as a leader in eco-tourism, climate resilience, sustainable agriculture and green development.
Stressing that lasting progress would require collaboration among governments, communities, investors, academia, civil society organisations and development institutions, Sitharaman said no district or community should be left behind in the development journey.
She urged stakeholders to focus on building enduring institutions and systems that continue delivering benefits long after projects are completed.
“The future of the Northeast is not a story waiting to be written; it is a story that is already unfolding,” Sitharaman said, calling for collective efforts to transform potential into prosperity, connectivity into opportunity, investment into livelihoods and partnerships into lasting growth.
The conference, organised by the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance, brought together chief ministers from six Northeastern states, senior government officials, multilateral development banks and international development agencies to discuss ways of improving the planning, execution and impact of externally aided projects across the region.
