Key facts
- Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal stated the Northeast's transformation into an economic growth hub is a major success story under PM Narendra Modi.
- Investments in connectivity, digital infrastructure, logistics, energy, and industry have driven this transformation.
- Gross Budgetary Support for the Northeast increased from Rs 20,000 crore in 2014 to over Rs 1.08 lakh crore in 2025-26.
- Significant expansion in national highways, rural roads, railway projects, and operational airports has occurred since 2014.
- Digital connectivity has reached nearly 96% of villages, with over 40,000 villages having 4G access.
- The region is being developed as a logistics and trade corridor linking South and Southeast Asia, with a renewable energy potential of 129 GW.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, has declared the transformation of India's Northeast region into an economic growth hub as one of the nation's most significant development success stories over the past decade, attributing this progress to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at the North-East India Infrastructure Summit and Exhibition 2026 in Guwahati, Sonowal highlighted that the region has shifted from being associated with infrastructure deficits to becoming a strategic growth engine for the Indian economy. This transformation, he stated, is driven by substantial investments in connectivity, digital infrastructure, logistics, energy, and industry.
Sonowal emphasized that the Northeast is now viewed as India's gateway to Southeast Asia and a crucial component of the country's Act East Policy. He detailed a significant increase in public investment, with Gross Budgetary Support for the region rising from approximately Rs 20,000 crore in 2014 to over Rs 1.08 lakh crore for 2025-26. Cumulative expenditure in the Northeast has surpassed Rs 7.3 lakh crore in the last decade.
The minister pointed to the rapid expansion of transport infrastructure, including nearly 10,000 kilometers of national highways built since 2014 with an investment exceeding Rs 1.07 lakh crore, and over 46,000 kilometers of rural roads. Railway investment has seen a nearly fivefold increase compared to the pre-2014 period, with projects worth around Rs 77,000 crore currently underway.
Air connectivity has also expanded, with the number of operational airports increasing from nine to sixteen, and new commercial air services established in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Digital infrastructure was cited as a key achievement, with nearly 96% of Northeast villages now connected by mobile networks and over 40,000 villages having access to 4G services.
Meghalaya was presented as a prime example of this development, leveraging improved connectivity, tourism, digital infrastructure, and governance reforms. The state's progress in ease of doing business and its successful completion of 23 priority reform areas were noted. The minister also highlighted the emergence of advanced manufacturing, citing the Rs 27,000-crore Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Facility in Assam as a significant milestone.
Sonowal also underscored the growing importance of inland waterways, with projects worth over Rs 750 crore completed in Assam and more than Rs 1,170 crore in implementation, developing river systems into strategic logistics corridors. He concluded by stating that the Northeast is no longer a landlocked region but a vital corridor linking South and Southeast Asia, with substantial renewable energy potential and opportunities in tourism and manufacturing.