Key Takeaways
- The North Eastern region of India has gained a prominent position in the overall national development plan, with a focus on building connectivity infrastructure and promoting trade and tourism.
- The Indian Embassy in Dublin is hosting a trade and tourism promotion event to showcase the emerging opportunities in North Eastern India and promote business partnerships between India and Ireland.
- The ‘Act East’ policy is a comprehensive, multi-faceted strategy pursued by the Government of India to promote economic growth and development in the North Eastern region.
The Indian Embassy in Dublin hosted a hybrid event on ‘Emerging Opportunities in 8 Jewels of North Eastern India’ on November 25, 2025, with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Invest India, as well as the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Enterprise Ireland, Chambers of Commerce of Irish counties, and Indian and Irish business representatives.
In their presentations, the senior representatives of the Ministry of DoNER, and Invest India, showcased the richness and diversity of culture, natural beauty, flora and fauna, and traditions of crafts and commercial products and the potential for trade, tourism and investment. Referring to the remarkable socio-economic progress made by the North Eastern region of India, they also highlighted the investment-friendly policy regime and pro-active efforts being made by the Central and State Governments to attract tourists and businessmen.
Addressing the event, Ambassador of India to Ireland, H.E. Akhilesh Mishra mentioned that the program is being held at a time when Ireland is the partner country for Nagaland’s famous Hornbill Festival. He also highlighted the paradigm shift in the approach of the Government led by Prime Minister Modi towards the North Eastern region. It is no longer the ‘Look East’, but a full-fledged, comprehensive, multi-faceted strategy of ‘Act East’ being pursued by the Government of India.
The North Eastern States now occupy a prominent position in the overall national development plan, with the priority accorded to building connectivity infrastructure such as airports, roads, and bridges to facilitate trade with the North Eastern region. The Region has gained emotional and cultural connectivity with the rest of India through initiatives like ‘Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat‘, NCC activities, and ‘Khelo India‘.
Ambassador Mishra suggested the Ministry of DoNER and Invest India to focus on high-end tourists, like Bhutan, for not only adventure and eco-tourism, but also wellness tourism. Similarly, with the growth in the number of operational airports, the North Eastern Region has unprecedented opportunity to tap Western markets for their organic products, herbal medicines and textiles and crafts, with emphasis on maximum local value addition before export.
He assured that the Indian Embassy would be very happy to support these efforts.
