India (Commonwealth Union)_Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Rising North East Investors Summit 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, positioning the Northeastern region as a pivotal driver of India’s future economic growth. The two-day summit aims to unlock the immense developmental potential of the eight northeastern states, collectively referred to by Modi as Ashta Lakshmi, symbolizing prosperity and abundance. Addressing a gathering of over 2,000 stakeholders, including industry leaders, policymakers, foreign diplomats, and state officials, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the Northeast’s strategic importance as both an economic hub and a gateway to Southeast Asia. “The Northeast is no longer on the periphery. It is at the heart of India’s journey towards becoming Viksit Bharat by 2047,” he said.
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The summit brought together Union ministers, the chief ministers of the Northeastern states, and top corporate leaders, including Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, who made a landmark announcement of ₹75,000 crore investment in the region over the next five years. Ambani praised Modi’s leadership, asserting that the Northeast is poised for a transformation on par with Southeast Asian economies like Singapore and Vietnam. Reiterating the government’s vision for the region, the Prime Minister outlined the “EAST” framework — Empower, Act, Strengthen, and Transform — as the foundation of the Northeast’s growth strategy. He cited major infrastructure developments including 11,000 kilometers of new highways, expanded railway networks, doubled airport capacity, and extensive digital connectivity through a 1,600-kilometer gas grid and expanded optical fiber networks.
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The Prime Minister also spotlighted the region’s cultural wealth, biodiversity, and thriving organic agriculture sector as core strengths. He encouraged investment in tourism, including eco-tourism and cultural tourism, noting a doubling of visitor numbers in recent years. “This region is not only a land of natural beauty but also a land of natural opportunity,” Modi said. Further emphasizing the Northeast’s strategic role in foreign trade, Modi pointed to critical infrastructure projects like the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Project. He expressed confidence that trade with ASEAN nations could exceed $200 billion, with the Northeast serving as India’s bridge to Southeast Asia.
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Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Jyotiraditya Scindia, echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiments. Calling the Northeast a “growth engine of the future,” Scindia revealed that the summit has already attracted investment proposals worth ₹4.22 lakh crore. “This is a testament to the faith global and domestic investors have in the Northeast’s potential,” he said. Scindia highlighted the extensive year-long preparatory work led by DoNER in partnership with state governments. This included nine domestic roadshows, an Ambassadors’ Meet with representatives from over 75 countries, six state-level roundtables, and six sector-specific interactions. Major conglomerates such as Aditya Birla Group, ITC, Adani Group, and Reliance Industries are among the top investors participating in the summit.
One of the summit’s key focuses is on high-impact sectors such as agriculture, food processing, energy, textiles, IT, education, and healthcare. Prime Minister Modi emphasized the region’s growing role in India’s semiconductor mission, announcing that the first “Made in India” semiconductor chip from a plant based in the Northeast would soon be launched. Furthermore, Modi also underscored the government’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and insurgency, attributing the region’s current peace and stability to successful agreements and development-led governance. He announced that over ₹21,000 crore has been invested in education and skills development in the past decade, resulting in new AIIMS institutions, IIITs, medical colleges, and India’s first sports university.
Closing his address, the Prime Minister described the summit as both a movement and a call to action. “The Northeast is no longer a story of neglect but of pride, progress, and potential,” he declared. “Together, we will transform Ashta Lakshmi into a dynamic engine powering India’s ascent as a global leader.” The Rising North East Investors Summit 2025 concludes tomorrow, with further announcements expected on collaborative initiatives between industry and states aimed at long-term, sustainable development across the region.
