Northeast India Redefined as a Strategic Digital Powerhouse: Dr. Chandra Shekhar

In a compelling address at the Rising North East Investors Summit 2025, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Shekhar, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, proclaimed the Northeast not as India’s remote border but as a dynamic digital and strategic frontier. Held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, the summit served as a platform to showcase the transformation and future potential of India’s Northeastern Region (NER), underlining its emerging prominence in digital technology, strategic development, and national growth.

Northeast: The Meeting Point of Nature and Networks

Opening the session titled “IT for Ashtalakshmi – Beyond the Bits and Bytes, into AI and 5G”, Dr. Chandra Shekhar passionately emphasized the integration of nature, culture, and technology in the region. Referring to the Northeast as “where policy meets possibility, nature meets networks, and heritage meets hyper-connectivity,” he invited national and global investors to rethink the Northeast not as a remote terrain, but as a pulsating hub of connectivity and innovation.

The session saw participation from influential figures including the Chief Minister of Tripura, Dr. Manik Saha, and the Chief Secretary of Manipur, among others, reinforcing the united front presented by the eight Northeastern states—collectively termed “Ashtalakshmi.”

From Margins to Mainstream: A Decade of Transformational Growth

Dr. Shekhar highlighted the significant shift in policy and perspective that began post-2014, which repositioned the Northeast from being a marginal territory to a vital pillar in India’s Act East Policy. Crediting the leadership of Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia Ji, Minister of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), he emphasized how political will and targeted initiatives have enabled the region to emerge as a driver of India’s digital revolution.

More than ₹1.5 lakh crore in infrastructure investments—including ₹50,000 crore for BharatNet and the Digital North East Vision—has played a central role in this transformation. Today, over 90% of the Northeast enjoys 4G mobile network coverage, and 80% of rural households are connected via fiber optic networks, empowering communities with high-speed internet and digital access.

Harnessing Youth and Innovation: Talent Meets Technology

A major theme in Dr. Shekhar’s address was the Northeast’s demographic strength—its young, tech-savvy population. Institutions like IIT Guwahati and NIT Silchar are producing cutting-edge talent that is spearheading innovations in fields ranging from artificial intelligence to agricultural technology.

He spotlighted AgSpert, a promising startup leveraging AI and drone tech to resolve agricultural inefficiencies. “This is not just about technology; this is about lives being transformed,” he said, linking these innovations to broader government policies such as Digital India, Startup India, and the National AI Strategy.

Digital Futures: AI, 5G, and Beyond

Dr. Shekhar provided real-world examples of how AI and 5G are reshaping the Northeastern socio-economic landscape:

• 5G-enabled telemedicine networks in remote areas of Arunachal Pradesh are providing life-saving consultations in real time.

• The BHASHINI initiative in Tripura is bridging linguistic divides through AI-powered, real-time translation across 22 languages, streamlining governance and enhancing citizen engagement.

• Augmented Reality (AR) is set to revolutionize tourism in ecological and heritage sites like Kaziranga and Sikkim.

• AI is being deployed to digitally preserve over 200 local dialects, and e-commerce platforms are extending the global reach of local artisans and craftspeople.

• AI-driven security systems are being explored to enhance border safety while simultaneously generating employment and tech innovation.

Northeast as the Gateway to ASEAN’s $5 Trillion Digital Economy

With 98% of its borders shared with international neighbors and a climate ideal for sustainable infrastructure like green data centers, the Northeast is strategically poised as India’s digital entry point into Southeast Asia. The region’s renewable energy potential and border logistics make it an ideal hub for trade, digital services, and cloud infrastructure.

Dr. Shekhar underlined this opportunity: “The tea gardens of Assam that once fueled the British Empire will now power AI algorithms. The borders that once defined our vulnerabilities will now define our technological edge.”

A Call to Collaborate, Co-Create, and Capitalize

The Minister ended his address with a powerful invitation to industry leaders, investors, academics, and policymakers: “Come, collaborate, and co-create the future with us. The Northeast is not just open for business—it is ready to lead.”

The Rising North East Summit 2025 thus marked a pivotal moment in India’s journey towards inclusive and distributed growth. By blending technology with tradition, infrastructure with innovation, and vision with execution, the Northeast is fast becoming a beacon of India’s digital future.