The document summarizes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for developing the North-East region of India. It identifies key sectors for development such as physical infrastructure, power generation, border trade, agriculture, tourism, and demography. Challenges in each sector are outlined along with potential solutions and incentives to promote growth in the region. The document concludes with references used in the analysis.

1. Uttar-purva vikas yojana:
REALISING THE GROWTH POTENTIAL
OF THE NORTH-EAST REGION (NER)
NIMISH GUPTA
MEHUL AGARWAL
JIGAR RAJANI
BHAVIK VORA
UDDHAV PODDAR
ST. XAVIER’S COLLEGE, KOLKATA

2. STRENGTHS:
Huge untapped natural
resources.
Gateway of India’s “look
east policy”.
Large deposits of rare earth
metals, vast bio-diversity
hotspots and high literacy
rates.
WEAKNESS:
Land-locked, thus no scope
for development through
the maritime sector.
Poor infrastructure and
limited connectivity.
OPPORTUNITIES:
Strategic location which is
brilliant in connecting with
East and South-East Asia.
Around 3800km of
waterways which has
tremendous potential for
being tapped as a source of
cheap hydroelectricity.
THREATS:
A boiling pot of various
insurgencies.
Alienated from the nation’s
economic resurgence,
especially far-off areas like
Arunachal Pradesh &
Nagaland.
SWOT ANALYSIS OF NE INDIA

3. MAJOR SECTORS TO BE
CONSIDERED IN THE NER
PHYSICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
POWER
GENERATION:
HYDRO
ELECTRICITY
BORDER
TRADE
AGRICULTURE TOURISM DEMOGRAPHY

4. Aviation Sector:
The NER has only 1 international airport (the
LGBI airport) at Guwahati, Assam.
9 domestic airports along with 6 airports
under construction, 1 being a Greenfield
airport, at Itanagar.
Guwahati Airport has the highest traffic
followed by Lengpui Airport (Mizoram).
Waterways:
2 major rivers, i.e., Bhramaputra and Teesta.
Around 3839 km of navigable waterways.
7 operational riverine ports for trade with
Kolkata & Haldia ports.
PHYSICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE

5. PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
• Hilly topography poses a difficulty in development
of suitable transport systems.
• It is a land-locked area which acts a deterrent for
development through maritime sectors.
CHALLENGES
• Absence of seas, thus we should concentrate on development
of land & air routes.
• Due to hilly areas, we should concentrate on narrow gauge
railways and ropeways, as transport means.
• Setting up viable industries under public, private or PPP
ownership, which shall lead to development of transport &
connectivity as a spillover benefit.
SOLUTIONS
• Construction of ropeways will not pose a threat
to the ecosystem.
• Setting up industries will lead to a dual benefit
of industrial as well as transport development.
FEASIBILITY

6. STRENGTHS
Perennial rivers.
Sufficient power can
be generated to
support export to
other areas.
Setting up hydel plants
will lead to
development of
infrastructure in the
areas.
Threshold capacity for
setting up hydel plants
is 350 MW in these
areas, against a
countrywide 500 MW.
DRAWBACKS
It has grave
environmental
implications.
Leads to displacement
of natives.
Leads to loss of
biodiversity, which is a
serious issue in the
NER as it is home to
certain endangered
species.
SOLUTIONS
Involvement of locals
at various levels of
implementation to
plan out suitable R&R
policy.
Proper re-settlement
& compensation( as
per market rate ) to be
given to affected
parties.
Selection of sites after
comprehensive EIA.
Construction of ‘fish
passages’ to aid
migration of fishes.
FEASIBILITY
Involvement of locals will
ensure sustainable
implementation of
projects with minimalistic
impacts on their lives and
the ecology, due to native
knowledge.
The ‘fish passages’ will
prevent any damage to
fish populations due to
such projects.
POWER GENERATION: HYDRO ELECTRICITY

7. BORDER TRADE
• NE India is located between three major economies –
East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
• Out of India’s export of $254.4 billion, the Northeast’s
share is only about $0.01 billion.
• 94% of exports of the area are tea & coal, with
manufactured goods being negligible.
PRESENT
SCENARIO
• Inadequate infrastructure and other facilities.
• Not been able to integrate and benefit from the various
regional and sub-regional initiatives that neighbouring
countries have created.
CHALLENGES
•‘BORDER HAATS’ to be allowed to sell local agricultural and
horticultural products.
•No local tax on trading.
•Check Posts and border trade points need to be developed.
SOLUTIONS
•’BORDER HAATS’ are expected to witness bilateral trade worth $20
million every year.
•Exemption of local tax would serve as a huge incentive.
•Border trade points will help to reduce informal trade between NE
and neighbouring regions.
FEASIBILITY

8. STRENGTHS
Varied
topography and
agro-climactic
conditions.
Rubber &
Bamboo, being
the most suitable
crops, can attract
a lot of
investment.
Comparative
advantage in
fruits, vegetables
& horticultural
products.
DRAWBACKS
Primitive practices
such as jhooming
and slash & burn
cultivation.
Lack of adequate
infrastructure &
modern
technology.
Imports of food
grains remains
high.
Only 3.4% is
cultivable land.
MAJOR
PROBLEMS
Fragmented
land holdings.
Low use of
fertilisers.
SOLUTIONS
Forming area-
wise farmer co-
operatives.
Promoting
education among
farmers about need
& use of fertilisers
and making them
available at
subsidized rates.
FEASIBILITY
Formation of co-
operatives will
enable farmers to
pool resources.
This will allow
mechanized farming
and HYV seeds,
which generates
higher produce &
profits.
It shall further
enable them to
face natural &
man-made
shocks.
Use of fertilisers
shall improve the
productivity &
output of the
area.
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

9. • Tourism is still a nascent industry in the NER.
• The number of tourists, both domestic and international,
has gone up dramatically in the past year.
• Manipur, Tripura and Nagaland have notched 20%-29%
more foreign tourist arrivals while Arunachal Pradesh and
Nagaland have 36%-41% increase in domestic travelers.
PRESENT
SCENARIO
• Scenic beauty.
• Rich biodiversity.
• Various natural parks and forest reserves.
STRENGTHS
• Geographical isolation.
• Political insurgency.
• Lack of infrastructure & communication facilities.
• Limited transportation facilities.
CHALLENGES
• Huge investment to break the geographical isolation and
remove communication-bottlenecks .
• Build up the required infrastructure of the region.
• Proper tourism development policy.
SOLUTIONS
• Removal of geographical isolation shall lead to
development of the region as a whole.
• Increase in tourism will prove to be an important source of
forex for the country.
FEASIBILITY
TOURISM SECTOR

10. PRESENT
SCENARIO
Occupying 8% of
India’s
geographical
spread, the states
are home to only
4% of the country’s
population.
The IMR and MMR
rates are very high,
especially Assam
having IMR of 48
and MMR of 480.
The Crude Death
Rate (CDR) & Crude
Birth Rate (CBR)
have declined
across the region.
The literacy rates in
all states are either
above or equal to
national average of
64.8%.
STRENGTHS
The high literacy
rate ensures a
cesspool of
educated
professionals.
The region is being
given special
attention in the
government health
programmes.
WEAKNESS
The healthcare
infrastructure of
the region, i.e.,
hospitals, in health
centres is very
poor.
The density of
population is very
low varying from
13 per sq.
kilometre
in Arunachal
Pradesh to 340 per
sq. kilometre
in Assam.
SOLUTIONS
Immunization to
prevent morbidity
and mortality due
to vaccine
preventable
diseases.
Health
programmes to
prevent high
mortality rates and
improve density of
population.
Conducting proper
surveys to
understand and
combat the
situation.
FEASIBILITY
Any reduction in
mortality rates will
result in an
increase in the
human resource
base of the region.
Proper surveys
shall correctly
depict the
conditions which
shall enable us to
take proper steps.
DEMOGRAPHY

11. INCENTIVES FOR
GROWTH IN THE
NER
Mutual cooperation of both the state and central governments
to comprehensively develop NER, already declared as a SEZ.
Subsidy @ 90% of the transport cost of raw materials brought
from outside the region as well as the finished goods sent
from the region to other parts of the country.
Income tax exemption for five years for the new industrial units
set up in the region.
Growth centres and IIDCs to be converted into total tax free
zones for the next ten years. Similar benefits will also be
extended to new industrial units or their substantial expansion
in other growth centres or IIDCs of industrial estates, parks,
export promotion zones set up by the states.
Capital investment subsidy (CIS) at 15% of investment in plant
and machinery, subject to a maximum ceiling of 30 lakh INR will
be given. Eligibility conditions will be same as in case of tax
benefits.
Interest subsidy of 3% on working capital loans will be provided
for a period of 10 years. Eligibility conditions will be same as in
case of tax benefit.
A comprehensive insurance scheme for industrial units to be
designed, in consultation with GIC and 100% premium to be
borne by the Indian government for 10 years.

12. REFERENCES
•http://wcd.nic.in/research/nti1947/2.Demographic%20transition.pdf
•http://www.pwc.in/en_IN/in/assets/pdfs/publications/2013/north-
east_summit-2013.pdf
•http://www.mdoner.gov.in/sites/default/files/silo3_content/railways/Master_Pl
an.pdf
•http://epao.net/epPageExtractor.asp?src=features.Impact_of_road_developme
nt_on_rural_economy_of_NE_India.html..
•http://mohfw.nic.in/WriteReadData/l892s/9457038092AnnualReporthealth.pdf
•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_India
THANK YOU!