Trilateral Highway and Northeast India: Economic Linkages, Challenges and Way Forward
Background Papers 1 Trilateral Highway and Northeast India: Economic Linkages, Challenges and Way Forward By Prabir De, Priyadarshi Dash, and Durairaj Kumarasamy July 2020 This chapter should be cited as De, P. P. Dash and D. Kumarasamy (2020), ‘The Trilateral Highway and Northeast India: Economic Linkages, Challenges, and the Way Forward’, in The India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and Its Possible Eastward Extension to Lao PDR, Cambodia, and Viet Nam: Challenges and Opportunities-Background Papers. ERIA Research Project Report FY2020 no.02b, Jakarta: ERIA, pp.B1-1--46. The Trilateral Highway and Northeast India: Economic Linkages, Challenges, and the Way Forward Background paper By Prabir De, Priyadarshi Dash, and Durairaj Kumarasamy 1. Introduction The North Eastern Region of India (NER), consisting of the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim (Figure 1), is India’s natural resource powerhouse. The region is endowed with not only vast natural resources, such as oil, natural gas and hydropower, but also agro-climatic conditions that help the region to grow some of the country’s best agro-forestry products. A well-educated labour force, relatively high literacy rate, and access to clean water are some of its unique strengths over other Indian states. The NER is also surrounded by an international border, serving as India’s gateway to the east. Against these strengths, there are weaknesses and threats that emanate to a large extent from the difficult terrain of the region and inadequate infrastructure.1 These pose some of the greatest constraints to economic growth, thereby nullifying the NER’s border advantage.
[Show full text]