INDIA’S NORTH-EAST AND ASIATIC SOUTH-EAST BEYOND BORDERS BY RASHPAL MALHOTRA & SUCHA SINGH GILL [HARDCOVER]

ABSTRACT The North Eastern Region (NER) shares borders with Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bangladesh, covering nearly one-third of India’s total land borders (approximately 5,385 km out of 15,200 km). The saliency of India’s Northeast lies in its strategic location. For India, cooperation with Myanmar, Bhutan, China, and other Southeast Asian countries would open opportunities for the development and growth of the NER. Due to its geostrategic position, the North-East India region holds immense importance in Act East policy. It serves as a ‘gateway’ to South-East Asia. Thus, developing the communication infrastructure in this region is important for connecting it to South and Southeast Asia. Many see this as a great opportunity for India’s Northeast region to integrate with both the national economy and the economies of its neighbouring countries. Therefore, given the geographical proximity to Southeast and East Asian markets, the potential for investment in North-East India under the Act East policy could increase significantly. This paper aims to analyse the geostrategic saliency of North-East India for the Act East Policy. This paper also examines the government’s major initiatives and projects to facilitate integration with Southeast Asia.