The North East of India, also known as the North East Region (NER), comprises eight Indian States namely Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura. It shares a common border with five countries; Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Nepal and it is connected to the rest of India by a narrow land corridor. Although it forms a small part of South Asia, the region is located at the tri-junction of South, East and South East Asia. Despite the region being one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse with overlapping ethnicities, cultures and colonial history, the Northeastern states of India have come a long way.

North East Council, formed in the year 1971 has played a pivotal role in streamlining multiple development projects in the fields of education, infrastructure, agriculture & economy by synergizing efforts of central and state governments and other stakeholders for balanced development of the region. To meet the modern-day challenges to the region, spanning geopolitics, internal and external security, development imperatives and ecological considerations, and to synchronize the state-level aspirations and national goals for the region the institutions of planning and execution of regional projects need further support.  Improved startup ecosystem attributed to the collaboration of MDoNER and North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) to establish the North East Venture Fund (NEVF) has marked a significant milestone as the first dedicated venture fund for the North East Region, endowed with a corpus of INR 100 crore. Since its inception in April 2017, NEVF has played a pivotal role in developing a dynamic startup ecosystem in the region and has extended investment support to 67 startups amounting to INR 98.17 crore.

Enhanced connectivity via the construction of airports, inland waterway ports and railways (first goods train reached Manipur after 75 years of Independence) has been welcomed by the people of NER in hopes of achieving development at par with the rest of the nation.

However, the complex nature of governance models and inter-state dynamics combined with inter-tribe relations often make the development process retire from focus. The conflict-hit Manipur is the most recent example of the complex nature of society in NER and the inevitable presence of the security forces in the region to maintain peace and stability. The fact that NER has a long history of insurgency and outstanding demands for more autonomy has the potential to disrupt peace could not be ruled out.

The evolving geo-political events in South East Asia further bring the NER in light with developments in Bangladesh, Myanmar and China having immediate as well as long-lasting effects on the border states. The socio-economic implications of such developments merit analysis and discussion.

The NER of India, with its diverse cultures, rich natural resources, and strategic geographical location, stands at a pivotal juncture in its developmental trajectory. The symposium on "Northeast India 2030 and Beyond" aims to bring together policymakers, academicians, journalists, and veterans to engage in a forward-looking discussion on the challenges and opportunities for this region over the next half of a decade. As we approach 2030, it is essential to envision and strategize how the region can contribute to India’s growth while addressing its unique socio-economic and political challenges.

In light of the above, the proposed symposium has the following broad objectives:

• To situate and comprehend the present NER with a historical perspective of inter-state dynamics, origins, aspirations and culture.
• To reflect on the insurgency-hit past, decline of insurgency and progress since thereof
• To envision the development of NER in 2030 with exploring roadmaps for future growth
• It is expected that the discussions at the seminar will be able to shed new light on understanding of NER and the future roadmap for 2030.