New Delhi: DoNER Minister G Kishan Reddy addressed a meeting of ambassadors and high commissioners organised in the run-up to the North East Global Investors Summit at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi on May 24.

Reddy called on the governors to explore the avenues for greater collaboration in the North East and said the region is set to become the ‘New Growth Engine of India’ and that the investment summit will prove to be an important milestone in its journey.

He added that the Investment Summit will showcase the region as one powerful block – full of new opportunities for the global investor and help them access opportunities spread across the region.

The officials of DoNER informed Business Northeast that Reddy said the Ministry is trying to bring about policy harmonisation among the states. For this, several efforts are being undertaken to enhance the ease of doing business and remove all administrative bottlenecks.

Reddy added that the northeastern region of India is blessed with rich natural resources, agriculture, minerals, and renewable power sources. The cultural diversity and strategic location offer numerous opportunities across various sectors and the geographic proximity to Southeast Asia makes it an ideal gateway for trade and commerce.
Reddy encouraged collaboration in the tourism sector, including the development of infrastructure, hospitality, and niche tourism offerings.

He confirmed that over Rs 5 lakh crore has been spent in the last nine years as a result of which world-class infrastructure is being developed. He said that a golden chapter in connectivity has been written with the increase in the number of airports to 17 from just nine in 2014.

Also, road projects worth over Rs 1.6 lakh crore and railway projects worth over Rs 77,000 crore are ongoing.

The minister said that a robust ecosystem that nurtures innovation, start-ups and entrepreneurship is being developed and that the mission is to unlock this potential. He also added that “we are committed to the region’s rich biodiversity by promoting sustainable development, which is the mantra of development in the region”.

The ambassadors expressed interest in various sectors such as tourism, agriculture, textiles etc.

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