Highlighting the importance of Northeast India’s strategic location, Prime Minister also gave the Vision of EAST (Empower, Act, Strengthen, and Transform) as a policy framework for Northeast.
Strategic Significance of Northeast
- Regional Connectivity: Northeast serves as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia, strengthening India’s Act East Policy.
- E.g., Major projects like the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project are enhancing regional connectivity.
- Economic Integration: With rapid expansion of local infrastructure projects like Sela Tunnel (Arunachal Pradesh) and new Semiconductor Plant (Assam), the region can further boost India-ASEAN trade from current $125 billion to $200 billion in a decade.
- Security: The region borders China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan, making it a frontline for national security.
- E.g., the Siliguri Corridor (Chicken’s Neck) is a critical link to the rest of India.
- Others: Prime Minister, while describing the region’s eight States as ‘Ashta Lakshmis’ (eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi), listed the bio-economy, bamboo, tea production, petroleum, sports and eco-tourism as some of the areas where the region is an emerging hub.
Key Regional Initiatives for boosting connectivity of Northeast
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