New Delhi [India], December 4 : The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for emerging as "the grand architect of a new and resurgent Northeast," transforming a region once neglected for decades into a major driver of India's growth, connectivity and national pride.
Speaking on the development outcomes achieved over the last decade, Sonowal said the Northeast has transitioned "from the margins of policymaking to the mainstream of national priorities," reflecting the prime minister's commitment to infrastructure expansion, economic reform, cultural revival and long-term peace-building.
"The Northeast suffered seven decades of under-representation and underinvestment," Sarbananda Sonowal said.
"Under Modi ji, the region is recognised as the Ashtalakshmi of India -- not just a border region but a new engine of national growth. From railway capital connectivity and airports to highways, power, digital networks and inland waterways, the transformation has been historic," he added.
The Union Minister said connectivity has been the cornerstone of the PM Modi's roadmap. All major gauge conversion work in the region has been completed, with Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram connected to the broad gauge network and goods and passenger trains reaching the region's interiors for the first time. Similarly, the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge -- completed in 2018 -- and the commissioning of the Bhairabi-Sairang link in June 2025 have expanded access across Assam and Mizoram.
Four capital connectivity rail projects -- Nagaland, Manipur, Sikkim and Meghalaya -- are underway, while the India-Bangladesh Agartala-Akhaura rail link was inaugurated jointly by the prime ministers of both nations in November 2023.
On roads, more than 11,000 km of upgraded national and strategic highways have been taken up in the last decade. Major corridors include the Shillong-Nongstoin-Tura section, the Nechipu-Hoj NH-13 project, and the capital connectivity highways to Kohima, Itanagar and Gangtok, several of which are nearing completion in 2025.
Air connectivity has undergone "a revolution," according to Sonowal. From nine airports in 2014, the Northeast now has 19 operational airports. Greenfield airports at Pakyong and Hollongi, along with the upgraded Tezu, Rupsi and Agartala terminals, were operationalised under the UDAN scheme. A network of heliports and water aerodromes has been added to extend links to remote districts.
The Union Minister said, "Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, the Northeast has witnessed a historic reversal of decades of neglect. From rail connectivity reaching state capitals to world-class highways, airports and waterways, the region has emerged as a new engine driving India's growth. The completion of landmark projects like Bogibeel, the expansion of AIIMS Guwahati, and the rapid pace of road and airport infrastructure demonstrate the scale of transformation underway,"