Assam will lead industrial development in Northeast: Amit Shah
'Assam has now become a hub for health in the Northeast, whether it is cancer treatment or medical education,' says Shah.;

New Delhi, June 30: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asserted that Assam's rapid infrastructure growth and rising investment potential are clear signs of its emerging leadership in the Northeast's economic transformation.
In an in-depth one-on-one with The Assam Tribune, Shah addressed a range of key issues — from the ongoing crackdown on illegal infiltration and Assam’s ambitions of becoming an industrial hub, to conservation efforts for the state’s native wildlife, Operation Sindoor, and more.
This is the third part of the five-part conversation with the Union Home Minister.
AT: There has been an investment agreement worth Rs 5 lakh crore in Assam. What kind of impact do you foresee?
Shah: I believe Assam will lead industrial development in the Northeast. MoUs worth Rs 5 lakh crore have been signed, and there are more industries coming up that are not even part of those MoUs. Assam has now become a hub for health in the Northeast, whether it is cancer treatment or medical education. The development of health infrastructure is the result of the double-engine government.
I do not think anyone should doubt Assam's industrial growth. It is a clear example of real, on-ground development. Only recently, the Government of Assam held the Advantage Assam Summit that drew investors from far and wide. In this summit, a total investment commitment of Rs 5,18,205 crore was received which amounts to 80 per cent of Assam's estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is also expected to rise to Rs 6.43 lakh crore by March 2025. This investment marks a significant step toward Assam's economic progress and prosperity.
AT: How has the government's push for self-reliance or Aatmanirbharta translated into tangible outcomes in key sectors?
Shah: Prime Minister Modi's call for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat was more than just a slogan, it was a strategic direction aimed at boosting domestic capabilities. In the defence sector, India has attained complete self-reliance, with production hitting Rs 1.3 lakh crore and exports touching Rs 21,000 is crore. The target is to scale ex- ports up to Rs 50,000 crore by 2029. Mobile phone manufacturing has seen a remarkable shift, with do- mestic production rising from 26 per cent in 2014 to over 99 per cent today, placing India as the second-largest exporter globally. In the toy industry, too, where only 20 per cent of goods were made locally and a majority of units were either shut or on the brink, revival has taken hold, signalling a strong turnaround in local manufacturing.
AT: How would you evaluate the economic trajectory of the country during the 11 years of the Modi government compared to the UPA era?
Shah: Under the leadership of Modi, the last 11 years were an era of development and transformation. But if we look back, in 2014, India was grappling with weak governance, deteriorating security conditions, and a severely impaired banking system. The country's inclusion in the Fragile Five was a reflection of stalled reforms and loss of investor confidence. That scenario has under- gone a complete shift under the Modi government. India is now among the world's top four economies and is regarded internationally as a growth leader. Non-performing assets have reduced drastically to 2.3 per cent, reviving the health of the banking sector. Internal security has seen remarkable improvement, with significant drops in violence across Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast, and Naxal-affected regions. The government reoriented governance with a focus on welfare delivery, moving 26 crore people out of poverty and reaching over 80 crore citizens through schemes providing housing, electricity, clean water, toilets, and free LPG. Health insurance of Rs 5 lakh per family and consistent supply of ration and cooking gas have now become basic entitlements, benefits that remained inaccessible for decades.
AT: Beyond GDP growth, what indicators reflect the broader economic progress under the Modi government?
Shah: Not only GDP, under the Modi government, our nation has witnessed all-round economic growth. Even if one sets aside the fact that GDP has doubled from USD 2 trillion to USD 4.2 trillion, the broader economic markers speak volumes. Capital expenditure has grown more than five times, rising from Rs 1.9 lakh crore to Rs 10.5 lakh crore. Per capita income has nearly doubled, and FDI inflows are up by 143 per cent. Inflation, which averaged 10.1 per cent during the UPA years, has dropped to 4.6 per cent. Foreign exchange reserves have surged by a double to USD 654 billion. Infrastructure has scaled rapidly, with highway construction reaching 21.3 km per day and metro rail expanding four times to 1,000 km. Over 55 crore people have been brought into the banking system, and Direct Benefit Transfers have touched Rs 44 lakh crore. The digital economy now accounts for half of all global digital transactions. These outcomes reflect real and measurable progress, far beyond headline GDP numbers. The world today looks up to India's mod- el of financial inclusion and banking reforms as an idea.
AT: The Modi government claims to have prioritised the Northeast in terms of development and progress but the Congress does not seem to be convinced.
Shah: The Congress may try to mislead the people of the North- east through its ill-conceived lies but it is unlikely to find any takers in the region, because data do not lie. During the UPA regime, the Tax Devolution grant allotted to the Northeast was Rs 1,08,483 crore in 2014-15, which has been increased by 430 per cent to Rs 5,74,741 crore by the Modi government in 2023-24. On the other hand, the grants to the region during the same period was Rs 2,37,972 crore which increased to Rs 5,66,093 crore in 2023-24, a rise of 138 per cent. This is a factual representation of the Congress party's affection for the Northeast.
It is the same Congress under whose watch the Northeast slipped into the dark abyss of violence, bandhs, and blockades. On the other hand, during the 11 years of the Modi government, a new dawn of peace and development emerged in the Northeast. In the last 11 years, due to incessant efforts of the Modi government, 12 peace accords were signed resolving most of the insurgency issues in the region. More than 10,000 insurgents surrendered during his period. The outcome of these initiatives are mirrored on the data. The number of incidents of violence was 11,327 in the period 2004-2014 and it reduced to 3,493 in the period 2014- 2025, which is a 69 per cent dip.
Deaths of security personnel was 456 and it fell to 135 in the same period, again a 70 per cent reduction. Deaths of civilians plummeted to 397 from 2,651 and that is an 85 per cent decrease. AFSPA has been removed from many areas in Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. In Assam, AFSPA has been removed from 32 districts out of 35 and from many police station areas in Arunachal Pradesh. The growth of connectivity has been phenomenal in the region during the Modi government with major infrastructural landmarks like the Bogibeel bridge which is the nation's longest rail road bridge, the Dhola Sadiya bridge which is India's longest river bridge, today dot the region. The first rail link to Sikkim has been laid during the Modi government. India's highest twin-lane tunnel Sela Tunnel is in Arunachal Pradesh.
As much as 46,296 km of village roads have been completed with an expenditure of Rs 47,279 crore. In air connectivity, 64 routes and new airports have become functional and 4,950 km of national highways have been completed with Rs 41,459 crore. The Northeast has broken all records in connectivity. This has become a reality because of our incessant efforts to establish peace through accords. The Congress that points fingers at us allotted only Rs 2,332 crore to the DONER Ministry in the year 2014-15 which has been increased by 153 per cent to Rs 5,915 crore in 2025-26. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was an MP from the Northeast. What did they do for the development of the region during their tenure. How many industries did they initiate in the region? None. But we undertook the most ambitious project of building the region's first semiconductor unit. Before questioning the BJP, the Congress should answer the people about what they did for the region.