Shillong (Meghalaya), June 15: Shillong became the epicenter of India’s infrastructure push today as Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma inaugurated NEIINFRA 2026 at the Lariti Complex, marking the Northeast’s first summit focused entirely on connectivity and investment. With more than 1,500 delegates, eight Union ministries and all eight Northeastern states in attendance, the two-day event is positioning the region’s Ashtalakshmi states as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia under the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
Gadkari used his keynote to make a firm commitment to the region, declaring that the Centre will bring Northeastern road infrastructure on par with India’s most developed states and calling it a resolve the government will fulfil. He also praised Sangma for convening the large-scale convention, saying it will inspire and motivate investors to look to the Northeast.
The summit coincides with Meghalaya’s biggest highway rollout yet, a ₹39,800 crore network spanning 450 km. The flagship Shillong–Silchar 4-lane Greenfield Corridor, at 165 km and ₹23,000 crore, is expected to cut travel time between the two cities by half while strengthening links to Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur.
The 66 km, ₹8,500 crore Jorabat–Barapani 4-lane corridor will shrink Guwahati–Shillong travel from 2.5 hours to one hour and form part of a future Siliguri–Guwahati–Shillong–Silchar economic corridor. In the Garo Hills, the 136 km Darugiri–Baghmara–Dalu section of NH-217, valued at ₹4,000 crore, targets remote border areas adjoining Bangladesh to improve access to markets, healthcare and education. Additional works include 4-laning on the Shillong–Dawki route, upgrades to the Tura–Dalu road, new bypasses at Tura and Pynursla, and NH-127B works tied to the Dhubri–Phulbari Bridge.
Officials said the expanded network will boost cross-border trade at Dawki and Dalu, ease tourist access to destinations like Sohra, Mawlynnong and Krang Suri Falls, and generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs across the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia Hills. Sangma said the region has moved beyond years of instability into an era of peace and political stability, pointing to Meghalaya’s rise to third in the country for five-year GDP growth, driven by a doubled state budget, a six-fold increase in capital expenditure and ₹50,000 crore invested in roads. He called the summit the start of a long partnership that will take the private sector, government and public to new heights.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio welcomed the platform as essential for turning Act East Policy goals into reality, while DoNER Secretary Sanjay Jaju described the Northeast as India’s strategic growth engine powered by climate-resilient infrastructure. The inaugural also saw the release of Knowledge Papers and a Vision Report compiled by a special committee led by IIM Shillong’s Atul Kulkarni, closing a day that placed Meghalaya at the heart of the Northeast’s infrastructure transformation.
