Guwahati, Nov 3: Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia today called the Indo-French North-East Investment Forum in Guwahati “a bridge between vision and venture,” describing it as a milestone moment in deepening India–France cooperation through the development of the Northeast.
Addressing the event, Scindia said India–France relations have transformed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi into one of the world’s most comprehensive strategic partnerships — “combining strategy with soul, and innovation with inclusion.” He underscored that the partnership goes beyond treaties, being “bound by trust.”
Highlighting landmark collaborations such as the International Solar Alliance, smart city initiatives, the Rafale partnership, and the launch of India’s UPI at the Eiffel Tower in Paris earlier this year, Scindia said: “Today, we extend that light to India’s Northeast — a region fast emerging as the new frontier of Indo-French collaboration.”
Scindia outlined the remarkable transformation of the Northeast over the past decade, noting that the region once seen as landlocked is now “land-linked and future-ready.” He cited over ₹6.2 lakh crore invested through the 10% GBS allocation, leading to 6,500 km of new roads, 900 km of railways, 17 operational airports, and 96% village connectivity under BharatNet.
The Minister also revealed that the Rising North East Investors Summit had witnessed investment commitments worth ₹4.48 lakh crore, underscoring growing investor confidence in the region. Among major upcoming infrastructure projects, he mentioned the ₹22,864 crore Shillong–Silchar Greenfield Expressway, expected to boost connectivity between Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur, linking the region to the Bay of Bengal and ASEAN.
French companies such as Total Energies, Airbus, Dassault Systèmes, Decathlon, and POMA, Scindia said, are already playing a key role in green energy, aviation, design innovation, retail, and sustainable mobility in the region.
Inviting French industries to explore joint ventures across sectors including agri-business, renewable energy, tourism, IT innovation, aerospace, education, and handicrafts, Scindia assured investors of India’s supportive ecosystem through schemes like UNNATI, the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI), and single-window facilitation.
Describing Assam as “the gateway of the Northeast’s resurgence” and “the nucleus of India’s Act East and Indo-Pacific vision,” Scindia remarked, “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 concluded with a call for partnership between India and France that connects “technology with tradition, and innovation with inclusion,” envisioning an Indo-French corridor stretching “from the Brahmaputra to the Seine, from Paris to Pasighat.”
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