"North East now gateway to Southeast Asia": Kiren Rijiju at Rising Northeast Investors Summit

New Delhi [India], May 23 (ANI): Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Friday that the Northeast region has emerged as India's gateway to Southeast Asia, adding that geographical isolation is an old concept and that they are at the forefront of development. He made the remarks while speaking at the Rising Northeast Investors Summit held in Delhi.
"The North East is now the gateway to Southeast Asian countries. India's Act East policy begins from the North East. Geographical isolation is an old concept; we are at the forefront of the development," Rijiju said during the summit.
Rijiju said the Act East policy, which focuses on strengthening economic and strategic ties with Southeast Asian countries, begins from the Northeast. He emphasised that the region was now central to India's growth and international outreach.
He also said that the northeastern region has become very progressive and advanced because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision.
"The government of India has focused on the Northeast, from infrastructure to the farm sector to tourism and hydropower, and in every sphere," he added.
Rijiju also said, "The northeastern region is becoming a major economic hub of our country, and all sectors are rising, so people from industries and all backgrounds are participating. I'm very happy that the Northeastern region is no longer lagging behind in any sphere. Rather, it is progressing very fast. It doesn't matter now."
The two-day maiden 'Rising Northeast: The Investors' Summit 2025' is being held at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital to showcase the investment and trade potential of the Northeast Region on May 23 and 24, said a release.
Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M Scindia, on Friday highlighted the transformative progress of the North Eastern states over the last decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the Rising North East Investors Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, the minister emphasised the government's commitment to the region's development. Scindia announced that gross budgetary support for the north-eastern region has seen a dramatic rise, from a mere 10 per cent to enabling an investment of nearly Rs 6.75 lakh crore in the last ten years.
This significant allocation, he noted, has been a game changer in redefining the growth trajectory of the region, turning it into a land of opportunity. He said, "It is our very own Prime Minister who, over the past ten years, has increased the gross budgetary support from 10 per cent to enable an investment of nearly Rs 6.75 lakh crore in the North Eastern region".The summit, aimed at attracting both global and domestic investors, sought to spotlight the immense economic potential of the North East.
The minister remarked that the region of the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers, has for thousands of years been a cradle of India's ancient culture and commercial vibrancy."There was a time when these eight states served as South Asia's global trading hubs, making a significant contribution in connecting the East to the West through both land and water routes," he stated.
Furthermore, Scindia said that in the seventy years following India's independence, the region had remained neglected and in the shadows."In the past ten years, the destiny and story of this entire region have transformed. And the architect of that transformation stands before us today in the form of our esteemed Prime Minister, Narendra Modi ji," he said, praising PM Modi as the architect of this transformation.
Recounting past infrastructure gaps, the minister shared that N-E region once had only nine airports, and two states lacked any airports at all. Under PM Modi's leadership, the number of airports in N-E has risen to seventeen, giving the region a new thrust in connectivity and economic integration.
Organised by the Ministry of DoNER in partnership with FICCI and Invest India, The Rising North East Investors Summit, which PM Modi inaugurated, is a two-day event taking place on 23rd and 24th May at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The summit aims to highlight the North East region as a land of opportunity and attract both global and domestic investment. (ANI)