A decade of air infrastructure expansion and new flight routes has done more than ease travel to India’s northeast region, thanks to the improving development indicators in the remote, hilly region. It has led to income enhancement but, more importantly, acted as a multiplier, catering growth in several other sectors, including agriculture and tourism.
North East India comprises of eight states, namely, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Manipur.
The developing airport infrastructure would boost economic growth in North East India, said Mark Martin, CEO of Martin Consultancy, a Dubai-based aviation firm. “The first thing that aviation can do is create jobs. With primarily hilly terrain, dependence on rail or road transport is minimal,” said Martin. A start-up named North East Farm Sales Promotion sent organic food items from the North East to Vietnam using the newly started flight. “It will promote the region, increase the income of the farmers, and boost the local economy,” said founder Bhanu Pratap.
This region now has 17 operational airports, as the number has almost doubled since 2014. In the state of Arunachal Pradesh, three new greenfield airports were built, while the states of Sikkim, Nagaland, and Tripura each got one. At the same time, a few airports were revived or upgraded for better runways and facilities. The UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme by the Government of India facilitated regional air connectivity among different locations in the North-East Indian states and with other cities in and outside the country.
All this has bolstered other sectors and offered collateral benefits, resulting in the income enhancement and socioeconomic development of people from the region. Farmers are earning better incomes as the outbound air cargo from the newly-built airports is offering them opportunities to sell their agriproducts in the markets with higher prices.“A better commutable and sustainable connectivity is key to raise income of people of North Eastern states” said Assam Industrial Development Corporation’s managing Director Manvendra Pratap Singh.
The all-weather airports are ensuring that farmers do not face transportation lags, and perishable items are transported in time. Moreover, the Government of India has launched Krishi Udan scheme to enable seamless, cost-effective, and time-bound air transportation of agricultural produce from hilly areas, tribal regions and North-Eastern states. It gives a full waiver of various charges related to landing, parking, landing, among others.
The aero-facilities have helped the tourism sector to exploit the tremendous potential all eight states have.
There has been a surge in the number of people travelling to the North Eastern states. There has been a constant increase in the number of tourists in the past few years. In 2022, about 11.8 million domestic and 100,000 foreign tourists visited even and in 2025, the overall number is set to increase by 25 percent year-on-year.
The North-Eastern states are getting benefitted due to proper airway access to remote areas and modernisation of air infrastructure, according to a report titled ‘Unlocking the Economic Viability and Potential of North Eastern Airports’, published in Journal of Law and Sustainable Development.“The expansion of airports and improved air connectivity in the NorthEastern states of India has brought about a significant socio-economic transformation in the region. The development of North Eastern airports presents a promising avenue for economic growth, tourism promotion, and cultural exchange,” reads the report.
The North Eastern region has been in policymakers’ focus in the wake of their growing interest in India’s Act East Policy. The region will be transformed into a hub of connectivity, trade, and innovation, said Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Development of North Eastern Region.
“Its proximity to Southeast Asia also positions the Northeast as a gateway to Southeast Asian countries,” said Scindia, also a former Minister of Aviation.
Air operations in the North East saw a whopping 36 percent increase from August 2017 to August 2022.And the momentum is likely to see an upward trajectory as the Government of India’s financial budget continues to allocate heavy spending for the aviation augmentation even as the corporates appear keen on investing in North East India. The Government of India allocated INR 56 billion in this year’s annual budget, an increase of 47 percent from the previous year.
Private industry, too, is keen on investing in the North Eastern states. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani said the investment in the North-East Indian states would be increased from the existing INR 300 billion to INR 750 billion in the coming years. “In the near future, I can see these regions replicating the success of neighbouring countries like Singapore,” he said. Another big industrialist, Gautam Adani had pledged INR 1 trillion investment.
