North East region will be engine of India’s growth: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the northeast region from being known as landlocked to land-linked

Published on: Nov 2, 2025, 20:54:54 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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GUWAHATI: Union minister for communications and development of north eastern region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday said that the policies by the Centre in the past 11 years have ensured that the north eastern region will be the engine of India’s growth.

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. (X / @JM_Scindia)

“The NE region would be the engine of India’s growth..Today the government at Centre stands with you hand in hand to lead that development push forward,” Scindia said in an address at IIT-Guwahati after inaugurating the North Eastern Science & Technology (NEST) cluster.

The cluster marks a significant stride towards fostering a robust science and technology ecosystem in the region, aimed at driving innovation-led development.

“The PM has named the northeastern states including Sikkim as Asta Lakshmi (the eight manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi) of India. The vibrancy, the diversity, the capability that needs to be unleashed,” Scindia said.

“The area for 65 years had been known to be landlocked. But the PM has changed that paradigm from landlocked to land-linked. The NE region can become our bridge to the South East Asian region,” he added.

The Union minister said that the concept of Act East, Act Fast, and Act First has unleashed the capability and potential of our eight states. In the last 11 years, the region has undergone a complete metamorphosis in transportation..

He said that the region had around 10,000 km of national highways for 65 years, but in the past 11 years alone another 6,500 km has been added to that. From just 9 airports in 65 years, the region now has 17 airports.

“The NE is no longer the periphery of India. You are the pivot for our country,” said Scindia who is on a four-day-tour of the region.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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