Act East Policy will make the Northeast India's growth engine, with investment proposals worth ₹4.48 lakh crore received
New Delhi: Under the Act East Policy, rapid progress is underway to make the Northeast Region (NER) a major hub for connectivity, trade, and investment between India and Southeast Asia. Efforts are underway to strengthen road, waterway, and border infrastructure, as well as attract large-scale investment to the region.
The India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project are being developed as key projects under this policy. The waterway component of the Kaladan Project has been completed and was inaugurated in May 2023. The road project, meanwhile, is developing a 109-kilometer two-lane highway from Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram.
The Tamu-Kalewa section of the IMT Trilateral Highway was completed and handed over to the Myanmar government in 2009. Furthermore, the 60-kilometer section of the Kalewa-Yargyi Highway was completed and handed over to the Myanmar government in October 2025.
Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) and border haats are also being developed to boost trade between Northeast and Southeast Asia. The High-Level Task Force on the Northeast Economic Corridor (NEEC), formed in 2025, submitted its report in June 2026, making several important recommendations to enhance connectivity, trade facilitation, and investment in the region.
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (M-Donor) promoted investment in sectors such as tourism, agriculture and food processing, textiles, handlooms, health, education, information technology, infrastructure, logistics, and energy through the Rising Northeast Investors Summit held in May 2025. Investment proposals worth approximately ₹4.48 lakh crore were received from private investors, public sector undertakings, and major industrial groups through the conference and the roadshows held prior to it.
The North East Development Finance Corporation Limited (NEDFI) is also strengthening the MSME sector by providing financial assistance to industrial, agriculture-based, and infrastructure projects in the region. In addition, startups and innovation-based enterprises are being encouraged through the North East Venture Fund.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, stated that through the Act East Policy, continuous efforts are being made to make the Northeast region a major hub for the country's economic progress and for growing trade relations with Southeast Asia.
