Infrastructure Development in Northeast India Gets Boost with Highways, Rail & Tourism Projects

The Government of India is accelerating infrastructure development in the North Eastern Region (NER) across roads, railways, digital connectivity, civil aviation, and tourism. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H) has constructed 16,207 km of National Highways in the region.

As of April 1, 2025, the Ministry of Railways has sanctioned 12 railway projects, eight new lines and four doubling projects, spanning 777 km and costing ₹69,342 crore. Of this, 278 km has been commissioned and ₹41,676 crore spent as of March 2025.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 17,637 road projects covering 89,436 km and 2,398 bridges were approved. Of these, 16,469 projects covering 80,933 km and 2,108 bridges have been completed.

To improve digital infrastructure, 6,355 Gram Panchayats in NER are now service-ready under the BharatNet project. Additionally, 3,297 mobile towers have been commissioned with support from the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN).

In civil aviation, 90 routes have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme, connecting 12 airports and heliports across NER, making regional air travel more accessible and affordable.

The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) is funding developmental projects through five Central Sector Schemes: NESIDS (Roads), NESIDS (OTRI), PM-DevINE, NEC Schemes, and Special Development Packages (SDPs).

PM-DevINE, launched in Union Budget 2022-23, is a 100% centrally funded scheme with a ₹6,600 crore outlay for 2022–2026. It aims to fund infrastructure and social development projects, boost youth and women’s livelihoods, and fill regional development gaps under the PM GatiShakti framework.

Tourism infrastructure is being enhanced with support from the Ministry of Tourism through schemes like Swadesh Darshan 1.0 & 2.0, PRASHAD, SASCI, and CBDD. MDoNER is also funding tourism development across the eight northeastern states.