The two-day Rising Northeast Investors Summit could draw an unprecedented INR 4.3 lakh crore worth of investment proposals to the region, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said
NEW DELHI — The two-day Rising Northeast Investors Summit, where investment
potentials of the northeastern states were showcased, could draw an
unprecedented INR 4.3 lakh crore worth of investment proposals to the region,
Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said.
The summit, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was
held here on May 23-24 where chief ministers of all the northeastern states,
Union ministers, industry leaders, diplomats and others took part.
Scindia, the Minister for Development of North Eastern
Region (DoNER), said the ministry has created eight high-level task forces
across key sectors -- agriculture, sports, investment promotion, tourism,
economic corridors, infrastructure, textiles and handicrafts, and animal
husbandry -- allowing each state to chart its own roadmap, according to an
official statement.
He said the DoNER ministry has been holding discussions with
different stakeholders, including investors, foreign diplomats and ambassadors,
encouraging them to explore investment opportunities in the northeastern
states.
The key initiatives include nine domestic roadshows across
major Indian cities, ambassadors' meets with representatives from over 95
countries, six state roundtables, six sector-specific industry interactions,
and numerous consultations with PSUs, industry chambers, and corporates.
"These discussions have borne real fruit of investment
proposals of INR 4.30 lakh crore," Scindia said.
In his valedictory address, the minister said the Northeast
has emerged as a hub of global partnership and mutual interest.
He said the summit drew an unprecedented INR 4.3 lakh crore
in investment interests, setting the stage for the Northeast to become India's
next economic powerhouse.
"We welcomed delegations from over 80 countries -- from
Japan to Europe to ASEAN nations -- and there was one unanimous sentiment:
India's future lies in Northeast," he said.
Scindia also praised Prime Minister Modi for not just
recognising the vast potential of the northeastern region but also embracing
it.
The minister said for six decades after Independence,
successive governments failed to recognise the vast potential of this region --
a land that once contributed nearly 20 per cent to India's GDP.
But Prime Minister Modi not only understood this potential,
he embraced it, Scindia said, adding that under Modi's leadership, "we
adopted a whole-of-government approach".
He also said this is the first time since the inception of
the DoNER ministry that an investment summit has been organised on this scale.
On Friday, industry leaders, including Reliance Industries
Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Adani Group Chairperson Gautam Adani, and Anil Agarwal,
Chairman of Vedanta, collectively announced investments worth more than INR
1,55,000 crore to explore opportunities in the northeastern region, the statement
said.
While Ambani pledged INR 75,000 crore over the next five
years, targeting agriculture, telecommunications, digital services and local
enterprise development, Adani announced an additional INR 50,000 crore
investment over the next decade.
Agarwal announced more than Rs 30,000 crore worth of
investment in the Northeast, the statement said.
