Northeast India poised to be next growth engine via sustainable agriculture and organic produce: Nirmala Sitaraman
Speaking at an event following the inauguration of East Ri-Bhoi Organic Farmers Producer Company Ltd.’s largest organic spices processing plant in the northeast at Lumdaitkhla in Bhoirymbong, Sitharaman said the future of agriculture will increasingly place emphasis on quality rather than quantity.
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“The future of agriculture increasingly belongs not to those who produce more, but to those who produce the best, cleaner, more traceable, more reliable and higher quality products,” he said.
The finance minister stated that states like Meghalaya need not compete with larger agricultural countries in terms of production volume. “When the farmers of Meghalaya rise, the northeast rises. When the northeast rises, India’s growth gets a new engine,” he said.
Sitharaman added that the future belongs to reliable quality and reliable producers, putting Meghalaya in a strong position to benefit from the growing global demand for premium organic products.
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma said on “This state-of-the-art processing facility marks a significant step towards strengthening our organic farming ecosystem by increasing value addition, improving market access and enabling our farmers to get greater returns from their products, bridging the gap between farm outputs and commercial markets, creating new opportunities for growth, livelihoods and sustainable prosperity in one of Meghalaya’s most important agricultural sectors.” area. It was received by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam Finance Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah.
Sitharaman inaugurated the Conference on “Leveraging Externally Assisted Projects (EAPs) in Northeastern States” in Shillong, highlighting the critical role of strong institutions, implementation capacity and collaborative partnerships in unlocking the immense development potential of the region.
The two-day conference, organized by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of the Ministry of Finance, brought together policymakers, state governments, multilateral development banks, bilateral institutions and development practitioners.
Sitharaman stated that Externally Assisted Projects have emerged as a major source of development finance for the Northeastern States and support investments in infrastructure, connectivity, livelihoods and social sector development. He said the conference provided a valuable platform for the Central and Northeastern States to strengthen planning and implementation of such projects through greater coordination, faster implementation and sharing of best practices, thereby directing development finance to critical priorities and accelerating inclusive and sustainable growth across the region.
The Finance Minister said the Northeast has entered a decisive phase of development where stronger institutions, implementation capacity and partnerships are as important as investments. He noted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Northeast has moved from the fringes to the mainstream of India’s development agenda and will play a central role in realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The Minister of Finance outlined eight key elements that will shape the next phase of development in the region.
He emphasized the importance of leadership and noted that alignment between the Center and the States accelerates development outcomes and strengthens people’s confidence. He also emphasized the need to strengthen institutional capacity for effective planning, implementation, monitoring and service delivery.
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Highlighting the demographic strength of the Northeast, Sitharaman identified the region’s youth, entrepreneurial energy and women leaders as the key drivers of growth. He called for greater investment in human capital and reiterated the Government’s commitment to promoting women-led development as a cornerstone of inclusive progress.
