Union Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, has said that India’s northeastern states, currently growing at a rate of 11–12 per cent, offer a “tremendous opportunity” to serve as a launch pad for the Global South. He underlined the historic and “fundamental” significance of the region in the economies and trade networks of Southeast Asia.
Speaking to PTI, Scindia said, “It is important to keep in mind the history of the North East… It is through the North-East that goods and services used to travel all the way up to Europe. I believe that the North-East has… under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the concept of what used to be the last state has become today the first state.”
Highlighting the region’s rapid development, Scindia noted that the northeast is “growing at over 300 basis points above the national average,” with each of the eight states experiencing growth rates of around 11–12 per cent. “They present a tremendous opportunity for a launch pad for all of the Global South,” he said.
Scindia added that this growth aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the region. “That has been the Prime Minister’s vision, which is what we are actualising… by the tremendous amount of investment into infrastructure—be it railways, highways, airports, waterways across the board. Ten per cent of Gross Budget Support (GBS), which is close to one lakh crore, is going into the North-East every single year.”
The minister has been spearheading initiatives to enhance connectivity, infrastructure, and ecosystem development in the region, aiming to position it as India’s next economic powerhouse through an integrated growth vision for all eight states.
Earlier this week, Scindia met top Indian business leaders including Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran in Mumbai. The meetings were held in the run-up to the Rising Northeast Investment Summit 2025, scheduled to be held in New Delhi later this month.
According to officials, the discussions focused on key growth sectors such as agro-based industries, textiles, and tourism.
“So I think the capability of the northeast today is paramount. And we need to be able to actualise and make sure that we give them that launch pad, if you will, to be able to contribute to the nation’s progress,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI)