India’s Northeast sees transformative infrastructure growth with ₹1.5 lakh crore in projects covering roads, railways, air connectivity, broadband, and tourism. Government schemes like PM-DevINE, BharatNet, and UDAN power development across 8 NE states, improving connectivity, economic potential, and quality of life.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H), which is primarily responsible for the development and maintenance of National Highways, has constructed 16,207 Km of National Highways in the NER. As on 01.04.2025, 12 railway projects (08 New Line and 04 Doubling) of total length of 777 Km costing Rs. 69,342 crore falling partly/fully in NER have been sanctioned by the Ministry of Railways, out of which, 278 km has been commissioned and an expenditure of Rs. 41,676 crore has been incurred up to March 2025.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, 17,637 road works of 89,436 Km and 2398 bridges have been sanctioned in NER, out of which, 16,469 road works of 80,933 Km and 2108 bridges have been completed. For providing high bandwidth capacity internet/broadband connectivity and mobile services to remote and rural villages in the NER, a number of steps and projects have been taken up with funding from the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN). 6355 Gram Panchayats have been made service ready under the BharatNet project in NER.
Additionally, 3297 mobile towers have been commissioned in NER under various government funded mobile projects. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had launched the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme to enhance regional air connectivity from unserved and underserved airports in the country and make travel affordable to the masses. A total of 90 routes have been operationalized in the NER under the Regional connectivity scheme (RCS) connecting 12 airports and heliports across the NE states.
In addition, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) is also providing financial assistance to the eight North Eastern States to take up developmental projects, linked to infrastructure development, connectivity, communication etc.,under the five Central Sector Schemes of NESIDS (Roads), NESIDS (OTRI), PM-DevINE, Schemes of North Eastern Council (NEC) and Special Development Packages (SDPs).
The Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE) was announced as a new Central Sector Scheme, with 100% Central funding, in the Union Budget 2022-23 and approved by the Union Cabinet on 12thOctober, 2022 with a total outlay of Rs.6,600 crore for a 4-year period from 2022-23 to 2025-26. The objectives of the PM-DevINE Scheme are to fund infrastructure projects convergently, in the spirit of PM GatiShakti, support social development projects based on the felt needs of the NER, enable livelihood activities for youth and women and to fill the development gaps in various sectors.
The development and promotion of tourist destinations is primarily undertaken by the respective State Government/ Union Territory (UT) Administration. However, the Ministry of Tourism through its central sector schemes of ‘Swadesh Darshan(SD)’, Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0)’, ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI)’, ‘Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD)’ – a sub-scheme of Swadesh Darshan and ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)’ complements the efforts of tourism infrastructure development by extending financial assistance to the State Governments/UT Administrations, inter-alia, including the North Eastern States.
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region also provides funding to the eight North Eastern States for development of tourism sector in NER through its Central Sector Schemes.
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This information was given by the Minister of State of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Dr. Sukanta Majumdar in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.
