Ambani, Birla, Tata Interested in Northeast

Jyotiraditya holds Investor Interactions in Mumbai; Ambani, Birla, Tata Express Interest in Northeast

A meeting to promote investment in the North Eastern Region was held with industry leaders under the chairpersonship of Union Minister for Communications and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Jyotiraditya M. Scindia

The Union Minister held a series of meetings in Mumbai on Wednesday (April 30, 2025), with leading industrialists, including Mukesh Ambani (Reliance Industries), Kumar Mangalam Birla (Aditya Birla Group), and N. Chandrasekaran (Tata Sons). The meetings were part of the ongoing engagement ahead of the Investment Summit, “Rising Northeast Summit 2025”, scheduled for May 23-24, 2025, at Delhi.

Scindia emphasized the Government of India’s strategic vision to position the Northeast as a new growth engine for the country. “The goal is to integrate the eight states into one unified development goal as India’s growth engine,” he said. He also underlined the role of public-private partnerships in accelerating sustainable development in the region.

The Minister further shared with the industrialists some of the key initiatives undertaken by MDoNER, which included the formation of a High-Level Task Force with the Chief Ministers of all eight Northeastern states, the establishment of Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) in each state, among others.

Dharmvir Jha, Statistical Advisor Ministry of DoNER, presented key investment opportunities spanning all eight Northeastern states.

The interactions focused on region-specific growth sectors, including agro-based industries, textiles, and tourism.

The Rising Northeast Summit 2025 will continue this momentum by bringing together key stakeholders, investors, and policymakers on one platform to unlock the region’s economic potential. The summit is scheduled to be held at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi on May 23-24, 2025

NFR conducts first Trial Run to Sairang, Aizawl

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) achieved a significant milestone on 01st May, 2025 with the successful completion of the first ever trial run to Sairang, Aizawl in Mizoram. This marks a major achievement in enhancing rail connectivity to the North-eastern state and makes Mizoram the fourth northeastern state with capital connectivity to the national railway network.

The historic trial run was conducted in the presence of Shri Arun Kumar Chaudhary, General Manager (Construction), NFR, along with other senior railway officials. Their presence highlighted the importance of this achievement and the dedication of the NFR team in overcoming difficult terrain and logistical challenges. Following the successful trial run to Sairang, Shri Chaudhary, provided an in-depth briefing on the scope, progress, and strategic importance of the Bhairabi – Sairang railway project to Hon’ble Governor of Mizoram, General (Dr) Vijay Kumar Singh and Shri Lalduhoma, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Mizoram. Shri Chaudhary, also stated that the project’s construction work is progressing smoothly. He further mentioned that the Commissioner of Railway Safety is scheduled to conduct an inspection in early June, with the formal inauguration of the Bhairabi–Sairang railway line likely to take place after June 17. During the interaction he also elaborated on the engineering hurdles successfully overcome during the construction phase and emphasized the anticipated economic and social benefits the project is poised to bring to the region.

The 51.38 Km Bhairabi – Sairang New Line Railway Project is an engineering marvel of the Indian Railways. The project consists 48 tunnels, 55 major bridges and 87 minor bridges. The total length of tunnels in this project is 12853 meters. The height of bridge no. 196 is 104 meter which is 42 meter taller than the Qutub Minar. The project also includes 5 Road over Bridges & 6 Road under Bridges. This new line project is divided into four sections, i.e. Bhairabi – Hortoki, Hortoki – Kawnpui, Kawnpui – Mualkhang and Mualkhang – Sairang.

Northeast Frontier Railway is committed to the early completion of the new rail project, which will significantly improve connectivity in Mizoram. The project aims to boost local tourism, support small-scale industries and reduce transportation costs for passengers and goods. It will shorten travel time between Mizoram’s capital to the rest of the country, while ensuring better access to essential supplies and long-distance travel across the country.