Arunachal Pradesh India’s next major gateway to Southeast Asia: CM

Itanagar, Oct 29 (PTI) Pitching Arunachal Pradesh as India’s next major gateway to Southeast Asia, Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday said the frontier state is poised to become a “vibrant bridge” connecting India with Bhutan and Myanmar, and creating new avenues for growth and cooperation.

Khandu made the comments after what he described as an “engaging interaction” with noted economist Prof Mahendra P Lama here, on a study report focused on reopening and operationalising trade routes along the Arunachal-Bhutan and Arunachal–Myanmar borders.

“Prof Lama’s deep insights on inclusive border development, livelihood generation, and sustainable connectivity were truly enlightening,” Khandu said in a post on X.

The chief minister emphasised that developing these traditional corridors would redefine connectivity for the border state, extending benefits far beyond infrastructure.

“Arunachal Pradesh holds immense potential to emerge as a vibrant bridge between India, Bhutan, and Myanmar, where connectivity means not just roads, but opportunities and relationships,” he said.

The proposed trade routes are central to India’s Act East Policy, aimed at strengthening economic linkages with neighbouring countries and supporting communities near the borders, officials said.

Opening regulated land border trading points is expected to stimulate local markets, promote tourism, enhance cultural exchanges, and generate employment in remote areas that have long relied on subsistence livelihoods, they said. PTI UPL RBT