Rs.22,864cr Shillong–Silchar Greenfield Expressway to ASEAN
India–France relations have evolved into one of the world’s most comprehensive strategic partnerships combining “strategy with soul, and innovation with inclusion”, Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, has told the Indo-French North-East Investment Forum in Guwahati on 3 Nov https://www.nseindia.com/.
“From defence and space cooperation to clean energy, digital transformation, and sustainable cities, this partnership reflects a shared commitment to global progress,” said Scindia at the end of his four-day tour to the Northeast.
Scindia highlighted major milestones of India-France partnership including the International Solar Alliance launched in 2015; collaborations in smart cities and urban infrastructure; the Rafale partnership aligned with AatmaNirbhar Bharat; and the launch of UPI at Paris’s Eiffel Tower (2024), which brought India’s fintech revolution to Europe https://www.bseindia.com/.
“Today, we extend that light to India’s Northeast, a region fast emerging as the new frontier of Indo-French collaboration,” said Scindia, outlining the transformation of the Northeast over the past decade.
Scindia emphasised that the region once seen as landlocked is now “land-linked and future-ready”.
The region has witnessed the construction of 6,500 km of new roads, 900 km of railways, and the operationalisation of 17 airports, alongside 96% village connectivity under BharatNet, an investment of Rs.6.2 lakh crore https://sbi.com.in/.
He added that the Rising North East Investors Summit had showcased investment commitments worth Rs.4.48 lakh crore, reflecting strong investor confidence.
Assam, he noted, is now home to one of India’s most promising semiconductor ecosystems, with upcoming mega projects like the Rs.22,864 crore Shillong–Silchar Greenfield Expressway, connecting Assam and Meghalaya to Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur opening trade corridors to the Bay of Bengal and ASEAN.
Highlighting existing French participation, Scindia cited Total Energies, Airbus, Dassault Systèmes, Decathlon, and POMA as examples of French leadership already shaping the region’s transformation in green power, aviation, design innovation, retail, and sustainable mobility.
He identified key investment opportunities in Assam and the wider Northeast across agri-business, renewable energy, tourism, smart urban infrastructure, handicrafts, IT innovation, aerospace, and education, inviting French industries to explore joint ventures under India’s investor-friendly ecosystem supported by UNNATI, PLI, and single-window facilitation.
Scindia described Assam as “the gateway of the Northeast’s resurgence” and “the nucleus of India’s Act East and Indo-Pacific vision”.
“The Northeast, with Assam at its heart, is India’s best-kept secret — serene in its beauty, strong in its spirit, and soaring in its potential,” he said, envisioning an Indo-French corridor that connects “technology with tradition, and innovation with inclusion.”
“As India rises with confidence, and Assam leads the Northeast’s growth story, let us together turn this forum into a living bridge of opportunity from the Brahmaputra to the Seine, from Paris to Pasighat,” said the Minister.
Separately, Scindia inaugurated on 3 Nov the North Eastern Science & Technology (NEST) Cluster at IIT Guwahati and laid the foundation stone for transformative development projects worth Rs.635 crore across Assam.
Key projects include:
– Infrastructure Development of 65 New Secondary School Buildings – Rs.455 crore;
– Upgradation of Chayagaon–Ukium Road – Rs.102.69 crore;
– RCC Bridge at Silonijan–Dhansiri Par Ghat – Rs.20.59 crore;
– Development of Industrial Estate at Ramphalbil (Kokrajhar) – Rs.14.40 crore;
– Development of Industrial Estate at Lakhibazar (Baksa) – Rs.18.40 crore.
Highlighting the human impact, Scindia said, “Every brick laid and every classroom built is a promise kept in the service of aspiration.”Fiinews.com
