Guwahati, May 24: At the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog held in New Delhi, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma delivered a forceful pitch for the Northeast, calling on India’s leadership to turn past political failures into a new era of strategic progress. Speaking on the theme ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat @ 2047’, Sarma positioned Assam as a rising economic powerhouse — not a periphery, but a frontline force in India’s journey to becoming a global leader.
“The pursuit of a Viksit Assam has always been a cherished aspiration,” said Sarma. “Now, with the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat, we have a rare opportunity to translate that dream into concrete transformation.”
Sarma reflected on Assam’s economic vitality before Independence — a land with a higher per capita income than the national average, a global tea exporter, and a key trading hub connected to Chittagong and beyond.
But this prosperity was abruptly severed in 1947. “Partition ripped apart our arteries of trade,” said Sarma. “Despite appeals, Nehru refused to intervene when Chittagong, with 97% non-Muslim population, was awarded to East Pakistan. Again in 1971, Indira Gandhi missed a historic chance to secure Northeast’s strategic access. Assam was betrayed twice.”
Now, Sarma said, the past will no longer define the future. “Under the bold leadership of Prime Minister Modi, we’re breaking the chains of history and reclaiming our role as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia.”
Sarma emphasized that Assam is now positioning itself as the economic frontier of a developed India. With a current GSDP of $68.7 billion, the state posted an impressive 19% growth in the last fiscal and a 17.8% CAGR over the past three years — one of the highest in the country.
He outlined key focus sectors tourism, textiles, pharmaceuticals, electronics, hydrocarbons and agriculture & infrastructure.
To fuel this growth, he called for dedicated transport corridors, revived inland waterways, freight incentives, robust rail connectivity, and power cost equalization.
“Let us correct the failures of the past with policy clarity today,” Sarma urged. “Let’s replace inertia with action and match the PM’s vision with real-time delivery.”
“The Northeast is not India’s edge — it’s the new centre of growth,” Sarma declared. “We are strategic, economic, and cultural frontiers. Rich in human capital. Rich in opportunity.”
He concluded by reaffirming Assam’s commitment to becoming a model of self-reliance, innovation, and inclusive growth, urging sustained support from the Centre and NITI Aayog to turn vision into victory.
The high-profile meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was attended by Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, Lt. Governors, NITI Aayog members, and special invitees. Sarma’s message stood out: Assam is done being sidelined — it’s ready to lead.
