PM Modi pitches Northeast as India’s new growth engine at investor summit

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described the Northeast as the “most diverse part of our diverse nation” and hailed it as India’s new growth engine, while inaugurating the first-ever Rising Northeast Investors Summit in New Delhi.

Speaking to a gathering of policymakers, investors, and industry leaders, Modi said the region, once seen merely as a frontier, is now emerging as a frontrunner in national development.

“For us, east is not just a direction. For us, east means Empower, Act, Strengthen and Transform,” the prime minister said, emphasizing the government’s focus on infrastructure and connectivity to unlock the Northeast’s economic potential.

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“From trade to tradition, from textile to tourism, the diversity of the Northeast is its strength. Northeast means bio-economy, bamboo, tea production, petroleum, sports, skill, an emerging hub of eco-tourism, and a new world for organic products. Northeast is the powerhouse of energy. Northeast is 'Ashta Lakshmi' for us,” he added.

Backing this vision with numbers, minister for communications and development of northeastern region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, said the government’s sustained efforts over the past decade had driven a historic transformation.

“It is our very own prime minister who, over the past ten years, has increased the gross budgetary support from 10% to enable an investment of nearly ₹6.75 lakh crore in the northeastern region,” Scindia said, calling it a game changer that has redefined the region’s growth trajectory and turned it into a land of opportunity.

Even before the prime minister’s address, industry leaders announced major investment commitments that could reshape the region’s economy. Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani pledged ₹75,000 crore over the next five years, targeting agriculture, telecommunications, digital services, and local enterprise development.

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“We see immense potential in the Northeast and are committed to contributing to its transformation into a modern economic zone,” Ambani said.

Adani Group chairperson Gautam Adani also announced an additional ₹50,000 crore investment over the next decade in green energy, roads, and digital infrastructure, on top of the ₹50,000 crore his group had already committed to Assam earlier this year.

“Our expansion in the Northeast will prioritise local jobs, local entrepreneurship, and community engagement,” Adani said, underscoring the group’s focus on sustainable and inclusive development.

Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal announced an additional ₹30,000 crore investment in the Northeast, expanding on the company’s earlier ₹50,000 crore commitment to Assam. The fresh investment will span oil and gas, critical minerals, power, data centres, and renewable energy across Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.

With a total commitment of ₹80,000 crore, Vedanta expects to generate up to 100,000 jobs in the region. Agarwal said the Northeast—rich in natural and human resources—is fast emerging as a key growth engine under Prime Minister Modi's leadership.

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The summit marks a major pivot in insvestor interest toward the Northeast, a region long viewed as strategic but underdeveloped. With government backing and increasing corporate commitments, it is now being positioned as a corridor for growth, innovation, and green transformation.