North East India To Be India's Gateway To SEA, Says Ministry Of External Affairs India

By: Asia Business Outlook Team | Thursday, 06 April 2023

Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, stated on Wednesday that once the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway is built, the northeastern area would become India's gateway to South East Asia, with seamless land connection to the core of ASEAN and beyond.

While addressing the inaugural session of the 4th and final G20 Business Meet in the northeast under India's G20 presidency, Singh stated that the hosting of the B-20 event in Kohima is an outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision that India in all its glory should be showcased to the world through India's G20 Presidency.

He stated that the Prime Minister Development Initiative for the North East Region (PM-DevINE) demonstrates the emphasis that the government places on the development of the northeast area as the "New Engine Growth of India."

Singh stated that the government is constantly working for seamless land and rail connectivity with Bangladesh and pitching northeast India to the business community as a potentially dynamic region of the world, surrounded by ASEAN, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, with youth from the northeast playing critical roles in hospitality and care-giving sectors across India.

He stated that the northeast, with its rich human resource base, can develop their firm in the area and beyond, presenting vast and largely undiscovered market prospects.

With over 250 ethnic tribes residing in the region, Singh stated that "variety is the strength of the northeastern states." " Before, the region was considered landlocked; however, with the creation of bilateral and multilateral links with other nations, the region has now become a hub for investment and collaboration with other global business groups, as well as a platform for diverse partnerships."

He added that the G20 summit is an excellent venue for showcasing the region's potential to the rest of the globe. The minister also stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) is ready to assist governments in researching prospective investment areas in the region and promoting economic partnerships.

Singh also expressed a wish for educational institution collaboration and the development of all-weather roads in all border settlements located near international boundary lines. He also advocated the establishment of more border crossing points.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio stated that Kohima is hosting 60 abroad delegations from 27 nations, including diplomatic, specialised trade, and economic delegates.

About 100 B2B and B2G requests for contact with government ministries in Tourism, Commerce and Industry, Agriculture, Horticulture, Healthcare, and Food Processing were created, he noted.

Rio stated that the B20 Conference will benefit Nagaland since it is geographically positioned and will assist Nagaland develop as a basis for strengthening ties with ASEAN countries.

He stated that the state's trading potential is based on its strengths in agriculture and forestry, mining and minerals, and services.