Act East Forum gets push with upcoming summit

09 Dec 2019 Editorial Team

Reportedly, as a boost to India’s ‘Act East Policy’ and Japan’s ‘Free and Open Indo Pacific Strategy’, the first annual Indo-Japan summit will be held from December 15 to December 16. The gathering of the two nations is expected to set the ball rolling on their Act East forum given that Japan is planning investments of around Rs 130 billion in the eight North Eastern states of India.

It is reported that Japan is currently weighing investments towards numerous projects in the region, including – a water supply project in Guwahati, a road network in Assam-Meghalaya and forest management and agriculture projects in other states of the region. It is estimated that new plans and blueprints will be announced at the upcoming summit for more projects in the area – given its close proximity to Southeast Asia.

Recently, on November 30, the two countries participated in a dialogue where the respective defence and foreign ministers underlined various points of discussion – top of which is reported to be Japan’s involvement in the North East region of India.

Reportedly, Japan’s involvement in providing aid for developing North East began in 2011 with the overseas development assistance (ODA) but actually picked up post 2014.

Additionally, as reported, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a memorandum with the Indian Government in 2017 with the aim of providing $610 million for the first phase of the North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project for projects in Meghalaya and Mizoram. The Act East Forum was established subsequently with the purpose of economic enhancement in the region.

Infrastructure Energy

14 Oct 2025

Mizoram To Build Rs 139 Billion Pumped Storage Power Plant

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Friday announced plans to construct a 2,400 MW pumped storage hydroelectric power plant in Hnahthial district, marking a major step towards achieving energy self-sufficiency in the state. Addressing the Mizo Students’ Union general conference in Hnahthial town, the Chief Minister said the plant would be developed across the Darzo Nallah, a tributary of the Tuipui river. Once operational, the project is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting Mizoram’s rising electricity demand and reducing dependence on imported power. Officials from the State Power..

Centre Plans Nationwide Opening Of Power Retail Market

India is preparing to open up its retail electricity market to private companies nationwide, effectively ending the long-standing monopoly of state-run power distributors in most regions, according to a draft bill released by the Union Power Ministry on Friday. The move will enable major private sector players — including Adani Enterprises, Tata Power, Torrent Power, and CESC — to expand their presence across the country’s electricity distribution landscape. A similar reform attempt in 2022 had faced strong opposition from state-run distribution companies (discoms), which currently dom..

CEA Sets 100 GW Nuclear Target For India By 2047

In a landmark step marking its 52nd Foundation Day, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) unveiled an ambitious roadmap to develop 100 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power capacity by 2047, aligning with India’s long-term Net-Zero commitment and energy security objectives. The event, held at the Central Water Commission auditorium in New Delhi’s R.K. Puram, was attended by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, who served as the Chief Guest. The roadmap sets out a detailed plan to expand India’s nuclear capacity from its current level of approximately 8,180 MW as of early 2025, outl..