Northeast Infra Summit kicks off; Gadkari unveils Rs 50,000 cr plan

The NEIINFRA Summit 2026 began in Shillong, where Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced infrastructure projects worth Rs 50,000 crore for the Northeast, including new greenfield highways to boost connectivity and regional growth.

The North East India Infrastructure Summit and Exhibition 2026 (NEIINFRA) commenced in Shillong on Monday, with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurating the two-day summit as Chief Guest. Organised by the Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) and co-organised by Build India Foundation. NEIINFRA is envisioned as a first-of-its-kind integrated infrastructure platform that brings together governments, ministries, policymakers, industry leaders, infrastructure developers, investors, innovators, startups and technology providers to accelerate infrastructure-led growth in Northeast India.

Gadkari Announces Major Infrastructure Projects

Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural programme, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced a slew of infrastructure projects for the Northeast, involving a total investment of around Rs 50,000 crore. Highlighting key initiatives, he announced the 165-km Silchar-Shillong Greenfield Highway project at an estimated cost of Rs 3,500 crore, the 66-km Shillong-Guwahati Greenfield Corridor with an investment of Rs 8,500 crore, and the Guwahati-Shillong Brownfield-cum-Greenfield project costing Rs 18,500 crore.

He further announced an additional Rs 40,000 crore investment for projects across Meghalaya. Among the major projects is the 136-km Darugiri-Baghmara-Dalu road corridor in West and South Garo Hills, near the India-Bangladesh border, to be developed at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore, which is expected to improve connectivity for remote villages in the region.

'Northeast Has Emerged as a Major Hub for Investment'

Speaking to ANI about the North East Infrastructure Summit 2026, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said, "What has truly brought the North East to centre stage is the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the last 12 years. The recognition and importance he has given to the region have awakened the North East. Today, it has emerged as a major hub for investment, attracting prominent personalities and leaders from across India and abroad."

"By 2047, we must work together to make India self-reliant under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' remains our guiding mantra," he added.

Meghalaya's Sporting Ambitions

Speaking to ANI, Meghalaya Sports Minister Wailadmiki Shylla said, "This is a big opportunity for us, and I'm very thankful to our Chief Minister for his visionary leadership. I think today itself, by having this summit here, it shows our vision, our dream to take Meghalaya forward. We are very excited to host the National Games in 2027, and tomorrow we have a sports conclave where famous players and Olympians are coming to share their views on how we can support more and make this National Games a memorable one," he said.

Replying to a question on whether Shillong could host a major sports summit in the future, Shylla said, "Definitely, this is the way forward. Meghalaya is building the country's biggest dedicated football stadium meeting FIFA standards, and just to inform you as well, that just recently we have passed a policy of the 'Meghalaya Outstanding Sportsperson Direct Recruitment' where under this, whoever brings a medal in national games, asian game, south asian game, Olympic, Paralympic, they will directly be provided a government job. They don't need to appear for any recruitment. They don't need to request any minister, anybody it's bring medal and they can take a job."

Strong Infrastructure a Basic Requirement

Speaking to ANI, Build India Foundation CEO Vaibhav Dange said, "All eight states in the Northeast have an abundance of opportunities in terms of tourism and mineral mining. A collective thought is required to look at the Northeast's growth and development."

"A very strong infrastructure is a basic requirement of the North East. More than 1200 delegates have registered. The response has been so overwhelming. We stopped registration two days back because now we are absolutely out of capacity," he added.

Summit Focus and Key Attendees

The summit began with the inauguration of the exhibition, followed by a high-level CEO Round Table moderated by Vaibhav Dange, Founder, Build India Foundation. The event was attended by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and senior representatives from the Government of India and the Northeastern states.

NEIINFRA 2026 focuses on six strategic sectors shaping the future of the region: Roads & Highways, Tourism Infrastructure, Aviation & Airports, Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Industrial Infrastructure and Digital Infrastructure. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)