Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank) has projected that exports from India’s North-Eastern Region (NER) could rise to as much as US$ 1.5 billion by 2029-30, underscoring the region’s growing importance as a trade gateway to neighbouring countries and Southeast Asia.
The projection was unveiled in Exim Bank’s study, *“India’s Northeastern States: Export Landscape and Policy Insight,”* released during a joint seminar on “MSME: Growth Engine of Northeast Region” organised with North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Limited (NEDFi) in Guwahati. The report was released by NEDFi Chairman PVSLN Murty and IIT Guwahati Incubation Centre CEO UrmiBorgohain in the presence of senior Exim Bank officials.
According to the study, the Northeast’s Gross State Domestic Product has expanded from ₹2.8 trillion in 2014-15 to ₹5.1 trillion in 2023-24, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 6.2%. Assam remains the region’s economic powerhouse, contributing 63.5 per cent of NER’s total output.
The report noted that exports from the region stood at US$ 629.6 million in 2024-25 and suggested a target range of US$ 929.2 million to US$ 1.5 billion by FY30, in line with India’s ambition of achieving US$ 1 trillion in merchandise exports.
To unlock this potential, Exim Bank recommended diversifying export products beyond tea, strengthening agro-processing infrastructure, integrating Farmer Producer Organisations, improving quality-testing facilities, and enhancing compliance with international standards. The study also highlighted the importance of connectivity projects such as the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project and the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, while proposing the creation of a North-East Export Promotion Council to boost the region’s global trade competitiveness.
