Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday said the transformation of the Northeast from a region marked by infrastructure deficits into a major economic growth hub under Prime Minister Narendra Modi represents one of India’s most significant development success stories.
Addressing the North East India Infrastructure Summit and Exhibition (NEIINFRA) 2026 in Shillong, Sonowal said the region has emerged as a strategic growth engine of the Indian economy, powered by unprecedented investments in connectivity, logistics, digital infrastructure, energy and industry.
“From a frontier region to an economic growth hub, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led the Northeast’s transformation. The region has moved from the margins of national policymaking to the centre of India’s development agenda,” he said.
Highlighting the scale of investments, Sonowal said Gross Budgetary Support for the Northeast has increased from around Rs 20,000 crore in 2014 to over Rs 1.08 lakh crore in 2025-26, while cumulative expenditure in the region has crossed Rs 7.3 lakh crore over the past decade.
He noted that nearly 10,000 km of national highways have been built since 2014 at an investment exceeding Rs 1.07 lakh crore, while railway projects worth around Rs 77,000 crore are under implementation. The number of operational airports in the region has risen from nine in 2014 to sixteen.
The Minister said digital connectivity has become a key driver of economic growth, with nearly 96 per cent of villages connected through mobile networks and over 40,000 villages having access to 4G services. Referring to Meghalaya’s progress, Sonowal said the state has successfully leveraged its natural strengths, governance reforms and strategic location to emerge as an attractive investment destination.
He cited improvements in ease of doing business, growth in tourism and digital infrastructure, and proactive policy initiatives under Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. Sonowal also highlighted the growing role of inland waterways, stating that the Brahmaputra and Barak river systems are being developed as strategic logistics corridors linking the Northeast with mainland India and international markets through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route. “The Northeast is no longer a landlocked region. It is becoming a logistics, trade and connectivity corridor linking South Asia with Southeast Asia,” he said.