Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has asserted that a new Northeast is rising under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at the Riding Northeast Investor Summit at the Bharat Mandapam held in New Delhi, the Union Minister emphasised that a “New Bharat is dawning with a resurgent Northeast at its heart”.
Minister Sonowal highlighted the transformation of the Northeast Region (NER) over the last decade, attributing this resurgence to the sustained leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, the Northeast has undergone an era-defining transformation. What was once perceived as remote and isolated is now rapidly becoming India’s gateway to Southeast Asia,” he said.
“The region is not just a part of India’s growth story — it is now a major chapter in it.”
He pointed to a landmark figure — more than 700 visits by Cabinet Ministers to the Northeast in the past decade — as proof of the Union government’s sustained focus on the region’s development.
Minister Sonowal stressed the government’s commitment to inclusive infrastructure, particularly in maritime and inland waterways, which are reshaping the economic landscape of the region.
“Inland waterways are one of the most promising frontiers of development for the Northeast,” he said.
“We now have more than 20 notified National Waterways in the region. The Jalvahak scheme is being promoted to catalyse multi-modal connectivity, create logistics hubs, and boost cargo movement. Infra development along these waterways will unlock new corridors of economic activity and generate large-scale employment.”
Highlighting India’s logistics advantage, Minister Sonowal noted that 90 per cent of the country’s trade by volume and 70 per cent by value moves through shipping, with inland waterways under the IBPR (Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route) and Sittwe Port in Myanmar will act as an emerging game changers in unfolding transformative transportation unlocking value.
In a nod to the region’s rich talent pool, the Union Minister detailed new initiatives in maritime skill development targeting youth from the Northeast, preparing them for careers in port operations, vessel management and logistics.
Minister Sonowal also emphasised the immense potential for “Heal in India” medical tourism in the NER, leveraging the region’s natural serenity, wellness traditions, and rising healthcare infrastructure.
“The market potential of the Northeast is not limited to domestic consumption,” he said.
“It connects directly with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) nations, offering investors unparalleled access to more than 600 million consumers in neighbouring economies,” he added.
