NEW DELHI — Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has asserted that a new
Northeast is rising under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking on Friday 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.
