At least 150 Northeast India have been identified for Geographical Indication (GI) tagging over the next two years, the government announced on Monday, marking a major push to preserve and promote the region’s unique heritage.
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) is spearheading the GI-tagging initiative covering products from the agriculture-horticulture, handloom, and handicraft sectors. The move aims to protect indigenous knowledge, enhance market value, and boost livelihoods of local producers.
In a parallel development, the Ministry has sanctioned the establishment of the North East Science and Technology (NEST) Cluster at IIT Guwahati with an investment of ₹22.98 crore. The cluster will focus on research, innovation, skill development, and entrepreneurship across the northeastern states.
The NEST Cluster will support an Innovation Hub for grassroots technologies, a Technology Hub for Semiconductor and Artificial Intelligence, and a Centre of Excellence for bamboo-based technologies and biodegradable eco-friendly plastics, strengthening the region’s innovation ecosystem.
Highlighting the economic potential of the region, the Ministry noted that the Northeast contributes nearly 96% of India’s agarwood production. India’s annual export quota for agarwood has been increased sixfold, and an integrated proposal for developing agarwood clusters in Golaghat (Assam) and Kadamtala (Tripura) is currently under active consideration.
To strengthen the bamboo sector, the Ministry is also working on upgrading Traditional Bamboo Artisan Clusters, aiming to integrate over 4,000 artisans into formal markets, enhance digital linkages, and modernize 15 Common Facility Centres (CFCs). Procurement units have already been set up in Karbi Anglong (Assam) and Mokokchung (Nagaland) to promote value-added bamboo engineered products.
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The government emphasized that the Northeast is poised to play a pivotal role in India’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.
The momentum gained further boost at the Rising North East Investors Summit, held in New Delhi in May, which saw participation from major corporate houses, foreign investors, and PSUs. The summit generated investment interest worth ₹4.48 lakh crore, signaling strong confidence in the region’s growth potential.
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