Trust, governance and vision define Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Advantage Assam’ approach, integrating infrastructure with identity, writes Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Since 2014, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the developmental story of Assam, along with that of the entire Northeast Region, has undergone a fundamental change. Our state and the Northeast region, which historically remained in the periphery of national focus, have since moved to the core of India’s growth vision as the Ashtalakshmi (Eight Goddesses) and a new engine of national development, the growth multiplier of a new Bharat.
Decades since our independence, the Northeast—and Assam in particular—remained on the margins of India’s development narrative. Geography was often cited as an excuse, diversity was seen as a challenge, and distance was viewed as a limitation. Yet, the deeper issue was one of political attention and intent. Aspirations born out of historic movements, including the Assam Agitation, remained unaddressed for years, while the region’s economic and strategic potential went largely untapped. The paribartan or change began with the PM Narendra Modi’s advent as a powerful leader at the national level and his earnest commitment to the people of Assam and the Northeast.
The national transformation led by PM Modi ji found strong expression in Assam from 2016 onwards with the formation of the BJP-led NDA government, creating the momentum of a true ‘double-engine government’ working in close coordination with the Centre. Assam entered a new development cycle marked by clear intent, seamless Centre-State alignment and a focus on execution over announcements, ensuring that flagship central initiatives delivered visible results on the ground. The foundations of several landmark projects shaping Assam’s modern trajectory were laid, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciencies (AIIMS) Guwahati, the new terminal at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Swahid Smarak, the Numaligarh Bio-Ethanol Plant and the Batadrava Than development project. Their gradual commissioning strongly reflects the BJP-led NDA’s vision of a growth governance model, mission to realise it, and ultimately the commissioning of these projects for the people’s welfare.
The scale of national commitment is reflected in numbers. The budgetary allocation for the Northeast has risen from ₹23.32 billion in 2014-15 to ₹59 billion in 2024-25—a 2.5-fold increase. Externally aided projects worth over ₹1.35 trillion between 2017 and 2023 have strengthened social and physical infrastructure across the region. This sustained investment has corrected historical imbalances and restored confidence among business interests to invest in the state.
Connectivity Transformation
Connectivity has been the most powerful catalyst of transformation. Railway investment in the Northeast has increased fivefold, with cumulative allocations exceeding ₹620 billion and projects worth over ₹770 billion underway. Engineering landmarks such as the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge, as well as the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Setu, have permanently altered Assam’s logistics landscape, while rail connectivity to state capitals has integrated the region with the national mainstream. Trains have reached Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram for the first time in history, realising a long-awaited dream.
Road infrastructure has seen a similar push, with over 11,000 km of highways upgraded or built, improving access to markets, healthcare and education. Air connectivity has doubled, supported by the UDAN scheme for regional connectivity, bringing remote districts into the national economic grid.
A defining milestone in this journey is the inauguration of the new terminal building at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, by Prime Minister Modi. For more than six decades, Assam’s principal airport functioned with constrained capacity despite Guwahati’s role as the gateway to the Northeast. The new terminal marks a decisive break from that legacy of neglect.
Spread across 140,000 square metres—nearly seven times the earlier terminal—the new facility increases annual passenger handling capacity from 3.4 million to over 13 million. Peak-hour capacity has risen from 800 passengers to nearly 3,900. Aircraft parking has expanded to include wide-body operations, security and baggage systems have been scaled up, and parking capacity has quadrupled. Built at a cost of around ₹40 billion, the terminal aligns Guwahati with global aviation standards and reinforces Assam’s position as the region’s principal transport hub, paving the way for more initiatives like maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities to transform Guwahati into an aviation hub.
Inland waterways have emerged as another pillar of Assam’s transformation. The Brahmaputra and Barak rivers, long central to the region’s civilisational life, are now being integrated into India’s modern logistics network. Brahmaputra (NW-2) and Barak (NW-16) are witnessing assured-depth dredging, modern cargo and tourist terminals at Pandu, Dhubri, Jogighopa and Bogibeel, and the development of ship repair and navigational infrastructure. A developed waterways network further enriches our transportational dynamics, resulting in lower logistics costs, improving multimodal connectivity and reconnecting the Northeast with global trade routes. A recent MoU at India Maritime Week (IMW) has resulted in the export of petroleum products from Assam to the world.
Under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi, industrial growth has followed connectivity. The expansion of Numaligarh Refinery from 3 to 9 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA), with an investment exceeding ₹220 billion, has strengthened Assam’s role as an energy hub for eastern India. India’s first bamboo-based bio-refinery at Numaligarh has empowered thousands of farmers while advancing the green energy transition. As PM Modi laid the foundation stone to set up the Namrup IV fertiliser plant, it aims to fulfil a five-decade-old aspiration of Assam’s as well as the Northeast farmers and strengthen national fertiliser self-reliance. The upcoming semiconductor assembly and test facility at Jagiroad signals Assam’s entry into high-technology manufacturing and global supply chains.
Along the Brahmaputra, riverfront development in Assam is being taken forward through a coordinated national effort—bringing together inland waterways projects on National Waterway–2, river conservation initiatives, targeted support for the Northeast, and urban renewal missions—reflecting PM Narendra Modi’s emphasis on combining infrastructure, ecology and public spaces in the development of the region. The Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence for Vegetables at Khetri, whose foundation I laid in 2020, introduced Israeli expertise in drip irrigation, protected cultivation and soil-less farming to Assam’s farmers. Implemented under the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project (IIAP), it strengthened climate-smart agriculture through focused technology transfer and high-value crop promotion.
Health & Learning Hub
Healthcare and education have also seen structural change. AIIMS Guwahati—the first in the Northeast—has become a regional healthcare anchor, complemented by new medical colleges and a growing cancer care network. Investments in skill development and higher education are strengthening the region’s human capital. The chain of cancer care hospitals, as well as the revamp of existing medical facilities and amping up of medical colleges, simultaneously provide Assam with a world-class healthcare system.
Equally significant is Prime Minister Modi’s sensitivity to Assam’s emotional and historical consciousness. Modi has been the biggest brand ambassador of Assamese culture, as he has worn our beloved Gamusa long before he became prime minister. This shows his unflinching love for the people, their culture and their identity. The martyrs of the Assam Agitation have been formally honoured, their sacrifices institutionalised through Swahid Smarak Khetra, and their families acknowledged with dignity. Long-overdue national recognition for our icons, such as Lachit Barphukan and Bharat Ratna for Dr Bhupen Hazarika in 2019, has restored cultural pride and corrected historical omissions. It is also a matter of great pride for Assam that the historic Charaideo Maidam has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, bringing global acknowledgement to the state’s rich civilisational and cultural legacy.
Today, Assam stands more connected, more confident and more competitive than ever before. This is Modi ji’s ‘A’ for Assam—Advantage Assam—built on trust, decisive governance and a long-term vision that integrates infrastructure with identity. The journey continues, but the direction is clear: a stronger Assam at the heart of a stronger India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to champion the hopes and aspirations of the people of the region.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarbananda Sonowal is the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways.