Shillong, July 27: Focused on promoting the Northeastern region of India in the South East Asian market and increase the trade and tourism between the region and the neighboring countries, the second edition of North East India Festival will be held from July 29 to 31, 2022, at Central World complex, Bangkok. The festival is being held after a gap of 2 years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first edition was organised in February 2019 at Bangkok which got very good response in Bangkok. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his townhall address at Bangkok had spoken about the event as an attempt to connect India’s North East and South East Asia. The PM opined that the first edition of North East India Festival has been able to to create understanding about India’s North East in Thailand.
The second edition will be on a much bigger scale. It is as per the Act East vision of the Prime Minister and will be celebration of 75th year of India – Thailand diplomatic relations. The focus will be trade, tourism, people to people exchange between both the regions.
The main festival will be on July 30-31, 2022, at Central World complex with large exhibition of trade and tourism potential of various NER States, exhibition of MSME entrepreneurs of NER showcasing tea, coffee, agro & food processing products, cane & bamboo, craft products etc. Exhibition on exotic cuisines of NER, Indo Thai Art collaboration exhibition, Showcasing of Tai Ahom and Tai Khamti culture and heritage with strong roots in South East Asia will also be there.
Large scale cultural showcase presenting various dance forms of North East India, Thai dance forms, popular Thai rock band Stamp, India’s popular blues Band, Soulmate of Meghalaya, orchestra group Rhythms of Manipur, popular icon of NER Zubeen Garg and band, David Angu and band, Jutimala and Tai folk group, Jeena Rajkumari and group will enthral the audience. Spectacular fashion show presenting the handloom designs of North East will be presented by Lakme fashion week fame Anuradha Kuli, Priyanka Lama, Robert Naorem and others. Popular Thai celebrities will be showstoppers.
Shyamkanu Mahanta, Chief Organiser of the event, informed that North East India Festival will open up trade since the region lacks market because of its land locked nature. The Act East Policy projects such as Trilateral highway is bringing new rays of hope, and this programme will connect North Eastern sellers to Thai markets. Thailand has 8 lakh hotel rooms but hardly any India tea in hotel rooms. This festival will open up huge market for tea, craft, agro horti products.
“We expect flight operations between Bangkok and North East. Lots of interest is generated about the festival in Bangkok as we have done campaigns in metro stations and other platforms, we expect strong tourist flow to North East India specially exotic hill and wildlife circuits, tai destinations of North East India. More than 500 delegates comprising top Govt functioneries, entrerpreneurs, scholars, media, cultural personalities are travelling from the NER to attend the Festival,” Mahanta said.
Itinerary of the festival
On July 29, 2022 evening, at Centara Grand Hotel, more than 100 prominent tour operators of Thailand will interact with Tourism depts and tour operators of North East India. On July 30, 2022, prominent buyers of Thailand will interact with sellers coming from North East India. On July 31, 2022 morning, prominent Thai scholars, historians, academicians will participate in a people to people exchange programme with the scholars and Tai historians coming from North East India.
The formal inauguration of the festival will be on July 30 morning at Centara Grand hotel In the presence of H.E. Jurin Laksanawisit, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Commerce, Kingdom of Thailand; Conrad Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya; Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister of Nagaland; Chowna Mein, Deputy CM, Arunachal Pradesh; R.K Ranjan, MoS, External Affairs, Govt of India; Pu Robert Romawia Royte, Minister (Tourism), Govt. of Mizoram; Nakap Nalo, Minister(Tourism) Govt of Arunachal Pradesh; Urkhao Gwra Brahma, Minister(Textiles), Assam; Jogen Mahan, Minister Revenue, Hill Area Development, Govt of Assam.
North East India Festival is a part of North East Festival initiatives to create awareness about India’s North East. With support from Indian Embassy, MEA, GoI and various State Govts of North East India, North East India Festival is organised by the well known Socio Cultural Trust, Trend MMS, organiser of North East Festival, Delhi.
