At the 73rd North Eastern Council plenary in Shillong, the Union Home Minister said improved connectivity, peace accords and new trade corridors are positioning the region as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia.
Shillong, June 4: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the Northeast is poised to emerge as a major trade, technology and manufacturing hub, urging states in the region to accelerate investment reforms, promote exports and strengthen action against narcotics trafficking.
Addressing the 73rd Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Shillong, Shah said the region has moved from being identified by conflict to becoming an “opportunity hotspot” due to improved peace, infrastructure and connectivity.
He said more than 12 peace accords signed during the past 12 years had helped bring over 10,800 former insurgents into the mainstream, while civilian casualties linked to insurgency had fallen by 86%.
Shah claimed the Northeast has attracted investments worth about ₹4.25 lakh crore, excluding commitments made during Assam’s investment summit, and highlighted major projects such as the semiconductor facility in Assam and the Namrup Ammonia-Urea Complex.
Calling for stronger economic integration with neighbouring countries, Shah said the Sabroom Land Port in Tripura and customs infrastructure in Meghalaya and Mizoram could help transform the Northeast into a key trade gateway to Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific region.
“The Northeast is now prepared to expand trade and economic engagement with Southeast Asian countries,” he said.
The Home Minister urged all northeastern states to ensure regular monitoring of their Single Window Clearance systems to improve ease of doing business and attract greater private investment.
He also called for the development of Guwahati, Imphal and Agartala as multimodal logistics hubs and asked states to focus on sectors with high growth potential, including agarwood, bamboo, essential oils, wellness products and eco-tourism.
Shah said the region should aim for self-sufficiency in fish, milk and egg production. He announced that the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) would supply more than 50,000 high-yielding dairy animals annually to northeastern states from the next financial year while expanding cooperative networks for milk collection and marketing.
On technology and skills, Shah said the Northeast has the potential to become a centre for Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, machine learning and blockchain-based industries. He urged states to align education, skilling and industrial policies to attract IT companies and data centres.
The Home Minister also stressed the need for a coordinated campaign against narcotics, saying the Centre has prepared a special action plan to eliminate drug trafficking and drug abuse in the region. He called on state governments to turn the “Drug-Free Northeast” initiative into a mass movement.
Shah further urged northeastern states to establish dedicated task forces for promoting Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products and to accelerate initiatives such as the Organic Mission and “One District, One Tourist Destination”.
He said preserving the region’s linguistic and cultural diversity must remain a priority, noting that the Northeast is home to more than 200 tribal communities and nearly 200 languages and dialects.
The NEC plenary was attended by Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, governors and chief ministers of all northeastern states, and senior officials from the Centre and the region.
