Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank) has projected that exports from India’s North-Eastern Region (NER) could reach between US$ 929.2 million and US$ 1.5 billion by 2029-30, provided targeted policy interventions, infrastructure upgrades and export diversification measures are implemented across the region.
The projection was outlined in a study titled *“India’s Northeastern States: Export Landscape and Policy Insight”*, released on Monday during a joint seminar on “MSME: Growth Engine of Northeast Region” organised by India Exim Bank and North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Limited (NEDFi) in Guwahati. The report was unveiled by NEDFi Chairman PVSLN Murty and IIT Guwahati Incubation Centre CEO UrmiBorgohain in the presence of senior Exim Bank officials.
According to the study, the Northeast’s economy has grown steadily over the past decade, with its Gross State Domestic Product rising from ₹2.8 trillion in 2014-15 to ₹5.1 trillion in 2023-24. Assam continues to dominate the regional economy, accounting for 63.5 per cent of the region’s total economic output.
The report highlights the strategic importance of the Northeast under India’s “Act East” and “Neighbourhood First” policies, noting its role as a potential trade gateway to neighbouring countries and ASEAN markets. It recommends diversifying exports beyond tea, strengthening agro-processing, improving quality-testing infrastructure, expanding multimodal transport networks and exploring the creation of a North-East Export Promotion Council to enhance the region’s export competitiveness and economic integration with Southeast Asia.