Focus North East

Samir Alam throws light on the North Eastern states of India to reveal and evaluate how the region is prospering in the apparel and textile segment!

- Samir Alam

The North Eastern states of India represent an integral part of the nation. The unique geography, culture and political scene in this region have always been a source of significant appeal, as well as political struggle. In order to better plan and face the challenges, the contiguous states known as the Seven Sisters - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, along with Sikkim, are grouped together under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region by the Government of India since 2001.

Considering the fact that these seven states share 98 per cent of their border with neighbouring nations like Bangladesh, Bhutan, China and Myanmar, they are an unexplored resource in trade and commerce as well. The government shares the broader view that these eight states require more support from the nation and have appropriately allocated ₹43,245 crore in the Union Budget 2017-18, a significant rise from ₹32,180 crore in the previous year, with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region being allocated ₹2,682 crore.

TEXTILE TRADE DEVELOPMENT

A significant part of the push to rapidly grow this region’s potential has lead to numerous initiatives by the central government, including cottage industry development, road and railway infrastructure development and support for key trade sectors such as textile and apparel - which is a critical source of employment and value. Many have stated that the region still remains an untapped ‘reservoir of textiles’. The plans to effectively provide revenue and employment in the region using regional resources have made the textile industry a primary driver of development. This realisation leads to the Union government implementing various schemes to further this cause. In April 2016, the Union Ministry of Textiles undertook investments of US$156 million under the North-East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS).