why-eastern

⇒ Why Eastern Neighbourhood

Emerging Business Opportunities

why-eastern

As part of its Act East and Neighbourhood First policies, India is committed to improve trade, and connectivity with Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Wide ranging development cooperation initiatives are undertaken, through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, to improve economic and people-to-people cooperation between these countries.

India’s eastern states (West Bengal and Bihar) and eight north-eastern States (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura and Sikkim) – which share long international border – are an integral part of the Act East initiative that had called for massive ramp up of the trade and transport logistics.

With a 98 percent international boundary, North-East India is a crucial fit in Act East. The region is witnessing huge investments to mitigate the infrastructure gap, so as to create an integrated market that will be linked to the high growth ASEAN and CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) regions through the land route.

The development cooperation initiatives have already increased trade and passenger movement in the neighbourhood, particularly in the BBIN (Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal) subregion, between 2010 and 2019. A much bigger shift is anticipated in the next few years when the bulk of the infrastructure projects will be complete.

The Eastern neighbourhood is in the cusp of a transition. IRCC – which is driven by researchers and professionals with deep connections with the East and North-East India and the neighbouring economies – wants to play a crucial rule in this transition through its research and advocacy services.