Urmi Bhattacharjee
Guwahati, May 23: India’s Northeast is increasingly projected as the country’s strategic frontier — a gateway to Southeast Asia, a critical border zone, and a region central to trade, connectivity and diplomacy.
But the hard numbers tell a more uneven story.
Official government data show that 1,841 villages across the Northeast still had no mobile connectivity as of February 2026, despite years of telecom expansion and infrastructure push across the region.
That contradiction perhaps captures the Northeast better than speeches do.
Spread across eight states, home to more than 45 million people, and sharing nearly 98 per cent of its geographical boundary with neighbouring countries, the region occupies a strategic importance far bigger than its population size. It sits at the heart of India’s Act East policy, border security planning and regional trade ambitions.
Over the past decade, roads, bridges, railways, airports and telecom infrastructure have expanded rapidly across the Northeast. Connectivity has improved in many areas, and government-backed schemes have pushed networks deeper into remote districts.
Yet the progress remains uneven.
Official telecom figures show that Arunachal Pradesh alone accounts for 1,176 of the uncovered villages, highlighting how terrain and sparse populations continue to complicate last-mile access. Other states have narrowed the gap significantly, but connectivity deficits remain in difficult pockets.
And digital connectivity is only one part of the larger Northeast contradiction.
The region contributes significantly to India’s tea economy, oil and gas production, hydropower potential, biodiversity, tourism and strategic logistics. Several states perform relatively well on literacy and social indicators.
Yet youth migration, patchy healthcare access, limited local job creation and logistical isolation continue to shape everyday realities in many districts.
For policymakers, the Northeast is India’s frontier of opportunity.
For many on the ground, however, the questions remain more basic — will the road survive the monsoon, will the network work in emergencies, and will jobs come close enough for young people to stay?
India may increasingly look to the Northeast as central to its future.
But the numbers suggest that for many communities, that future is still arriving — only not always evenly.
Also Read: Assam to set up counter-radicalisation cell to protect youths: Governor
Also Watch
Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.
Also, Follow us on
Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub
Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020
Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub
Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub
