THE BUSINESS FACTORS NEWS DESK
New Delhi, May 25, 2025: The Rising North East Investors Summit 2025, held during May 23-24, concluded on Saturday (May 24) with significant investment announcements made on the first day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the summit on May 23.
In his valedictory address, the Union Minister of Communications and Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said that the Northeast has emerged as a hub of global partnership and mutual interest.
He said the Rising North East Investors Summit 2025 drew an unprecedented Rs 4.3 lakh crore in investment interest, setting the stage for the Northeast Region (NER) to become India’s next economic powerhouse. “We welcomed delegations from over 80 countries — from Japan to Europe to ASEAN nations, and there was one unanimous sentiment: India’s future lies in the Northeast,” he said.
Scindia praised the PM for not just recognising the vast potential of the north-eastern region but also embracing it. He said, “None of this would have been possible without the commitment of the government under the PM and his deep, heartfelt connection to this region. For six decades after Independence, successive governments failed to recognise the vast potential of this land, a land that once contributed nearly 20% to India's GDP. But Narendra Modi not only understood this potential, he embraced I,t adopting a ‘whole-of-government’ approach.”
He said the ministry has created eight high-level task forces across key sectors: agriculture, sports, investment promotion, tourism, economic corridors, infrastructure, textiles and handicrafts, and animal husbandry, allowing each state to chart its own roadmap.
MDoNER has been holding discussions with various stakeholders, including investors and foreign diplomats, to encourage them to explore investment opportunities in the northeastern states. In the last year, the ministry has led an extensive nationwide and international engagement effort in this direction. These key initiatives include nine domestic road shows across major Indian cities, Ambassadors’ Meets with representatives from over 95 countries, six state roundtables, six sector-specific industry interactions, and numerous consultations with PSUs, industry chambers, and corporates.
Scindia said, “These discussions have borne real fruit and investment proposals of Rs.4.30 lakh crore.” Commenting on the Rising North East Summit 2025, the minister said that this is the first time since the inception of MDoNER that an investment summit has been organised on this scale. On Friday, industry leaders, including Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, Gautam Adani, Chairperson of Adani Group, and Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta, collectively announced investments worth more than Rs 1,55,000 crore to explore opportunities in the North Eastern region during the event's inauguration ceremony.
Besides Scindia, MoS Sukanta Majumdar, MoS External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, Tripura Industries and Commerce Minister Santana Chakma remained present.
MDoNER Secretary Chanchal Kumar, MDoNER joint secretary Angshuman Dey, DoNER Statistical Advisor Dharmvir Jha and other officers were present.
On Friday, Mukesh Ambani pledged Rs 75,000 crore over the next five years, targeting agriculture, telecommunications, digital services, and local enterprise development. Adani Group chairperson Gautam Adani also announced an additional Rs 50,000 crore investment over the next decade, and Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal announced more than Rs 30,000 crore investments in the northeast.
MoS External Affairs Pabitra Margherita said, “It fills me with immense pride and joy to witness the remarkable transformation of the northeast region under the visionary leadership of the PM.”
Talking about the fortnightly visits mandated for the central ministers to each north-eastern state, the minister said that so far, more than 700 such visits have taken place, reflecting our governance model that is more active, outcome-oriented, and truly people-centric.
Sukanta Majumdar expressed gratitude for making the North East summit a resounding success. He said, “Over the past two days, Bharat Mandapam has transformed into a national stage, amplifying the voice, vision, and vast potential of the north-eastern region.”
“From Guwahati to Mumbai, Hyderabad to Kolkata, nine investor road shows, two Ambassador meets, and engagement with over 131 investors and 24 industry members have sparked the momentum that is redefining the development narrative of the northeast,” he added.
Briefing about the progress seen by the North eastern region in recent years, the minister said, “National highways in this region have grown from 10,905-km in 2014 to 16,207-km by 2024. A total of 694.5 megawatts of power generation capacity and over 10,000-km of circuit of transmission and distribution lines have been added. Thirty-six major aviation projects have been completed, and airports have doubled from 9 to 17 between 2014 and 2024.”
Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, MDoNER, said that the Northeast states are not just known for their natural beauty but also have immense potential in the fields of natural resources, tourism, sports, and music. “Looking at all these factors, it can be said that the future belongs to the Northeast states. We have conducted road shows, Ambassador round tables, and state round tables in different cities across eight states to promote the investment ecosystem in NER,” said Kumar. He further added that the Ambassadors' Meet, organised last month, saw participation from representatives from about 76 countries, and the ministry has received investment proposals worth over Rs 4 lakh crore.
Dharmvir Jha thanked investors for showing investment interest in the NER and said, “Today, we're at the culmination of our hard work in the form of the Rising North East Summit.” The Statistical Advisor, MDoNER, said that investment proposals worth Rs 4.30 lakh crore have been received so far.
The trailblazing investment summit, organised by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, hosted ministerial sessions, Business-to-Government sessions, Business-to-Business meetings, startups, and exhibitions of policy and related initiatives taken by state governments and central ministries for investment promotion. The summit is the culmination of various pre-summit activities, such as a series of road shows and states' roundtables, including the Ambassador's Meet and the Bilateral Chambers Meet, organised by the central government with active support from the state governments of the North Eastern Region.
In the inaugural ceremony of the summit held on Friday, the Prime Minister highlighted that over the past decade, Rs 21,000 crore has been invested in the Northeast's education sector. He noted key developments, including the establishment of over 800 new schools, the region's first AIIMS, nine new medical colleges, and two new IIITs. The Prime Minister assured that the Northeast now offers top-tier talent across various sectors, encouraging industries and investors to leverage the region's immense potential.
“We will continue B2G and B2B dialogues, where MDoNER will act as a bridge between investors and state governments, to ensure that each approved project translates swiftly into reality. Standing here today, I reaffirm our promise: every MoU, every proposal discussed here will be pursued relentlessly. The Northeast Region, our NER, now embarks on a journey of New Economic Revolution, a New Economic Revival — where it will emerge as India’s International Gateway to Southeast Asia,” said the Union Minister of DoNER, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, in his concluding remarks on Saturday.
