New Delhi, May 23 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday India’s trade volume with ASEAN which is about 125 billion Dollars, is expected to exceed 200 billion Dollars in the coming years, positioning the Northeast as a strategic trade bridge and gateway to ASEAN markets.

In his inaugural address at the two-day Northeast Investors Summit here he said infrastructure projects were not just about bricks and cement, but were a means of emotional connectivity. He reaffirmed the shift from Look East to Act East, stating that this proactive approach is yielding visible results.



Reiterating the government’s commitment to accelerating infrastructure projects to enhance regional connectivity, he stressed the importance of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway which will provide direct access from Myanmar to Thailand, strengthening India's connectivity with Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. He highlighted the government's efforts to expedite the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Project which will link the Kolkata Port to Myanmar's Sittwe Port, providing a crucial trade route through Mizoram. This project would significantly reduce travel distance between West Bengal and Mizoram, enhancing trade and industrial growth.



Highlighting the ongoing development of Guwahati, Imphal, and Agartala as Multi-Modal Logistics Hubs, the Prime Minister said the establishment of Land Custom Stations in Meghalaya and Mizoram is further expanding international trade opportunities. These advancements are positioning the Northeast as a rising force in trade with Indo-Pacific nations, unlocking new avenues for investment and economic growth.



Underlining that robust infrastructure plays a key role in making the tourism sector attractive and instilling confidence among investors, Mr Modi said well-developed roads, power infrastructure, and logistics networks were the backbone of any industry, facilitating seamless trade and economic growth.



He said the government had initiated an Infrastructure Revolution in the Northeast and the region was now emerging as a Land of Opportunities. Thousands of crores had been invested in enhancing connectivity, he said highlighting key advancements in the past decade, including construction of 11,000 km of highways, extensive new railway lines, a doubling of airport numbers, development of waterways on the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers and the installation of hundreds of mobile towers. Over the next decade, the region’s trade potential would multiply significantly.



UNI RB GNK 1515