New Delhi [India], August 19 : Stressing the critical importance of India's Northeast in the country's strategic and developmental roadmap, foreign policy experts on Monday underlined the need to strengthen connectivity, people-to-people ties and economic cooperation with Southeast Asian nations to unlock the region's full potential.
Speaking at the conference on "Contributions and Potential of Northeast: Viksit Bharat @ 2047", former diplomat Suresh K Goel said the Northeast not only holds a "critically important territory for India's security calculus" but also shares deep cultural and social resonances with neighbouring countries like Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
He pointed out similarities in festivals and traditions across the borders, citing examples of Manipuri communities freely crossing into Myanmar for celebrations. "Such cultural bonds are a huge resource for building trust and integration. Diversity is our strength, and we must convert it into economic and social opportunities," Goel noted.
Highlighting the untapped potential of hydropower in the region, he said integrating India's Northeast power projects with those in Southeast Asia could create a "massive energy corridor" stretching up to Odisha and beyond. "Imagine the commercial opportunities if we link the Northeast with Indochina's resources," he added, while also flagging the slow pace of projects like the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway.
Former ambassador JK Tripathi, while echoing the need for deeper integration, said the lack of effective connectivity, even after decades, has hindered the Northeast's growth. He underlined that besides infrastructure, India must address perceptions and prejudices towards the Northeast within the mainland.
"Unless we treat people from the region with respect and equality, no amount of infrastructure can create trust. Their culture is no less than ours. Integration requires sensitivity, not just highways," Tripathi stressed.
The experts called for renewed focus on cultural diplomacy, soft power and building cross-border dependencies to bring long-term stability and prosperity to the Northeast, positioning it as a bridge to Southeast Asia in India's Act East vision.