Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, addressed the Indo-French North-East Investment Forum in Guwahati on Thursday, marking the final leg of his four-day visit to the Northeast. Calling the forum “a bridge between vision and venture,” Scindia said it celebrates the deep-rooted partnership between India and France, which he described as “bound not by treaties, but by trust.” Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, he added, the bilateral relationship has evolved into one of the world’s most comprehensive strategic partnerships, combining “strategy with soul, and innovation with inclusion.” Highlighting milestones in Indo-French cooperation, Scindia cited the launch of the International Solar Alliance (2015) by PM Modi and President François Hollande, collaborations in smart city projects, the Rafale partnership under the AatmaNirbhar Bharat initiative, and the launch of UPI at Paris’s Eiffel Tower in 2024, symbolising India’s fintech outreach to Europe. “Today, we extend that light to India’s Northeast — a region fast emerging as the new frontier of Indo-French collaboration,” Scindia said. Transformation of the Northeast He outlined the dramatic transformation of the Northeast over the past decade, noting that the region — once seen as landlocked — is now “land-linked and future-ready.” More than Rs 6.2 trillion has been invested under the 10 per cent Gross Budgetary Support policy, leading to the construction of 6,500 kilometres of roads, 900 kilometres of railways, and 17 operational airports. Additionally, 96 per cent of villages have been connected through BharatNet. Scindia also pointed out that the Rising North East Investors Summit generated investment commitments worth Rs 4.48 trillion, underscoring investor confidence in the region. He noted that Assam has emerged as a key industrial hub, home to one of India’s most promising semiconductor ecosystems, with major upcoming infrastructure projects such as the Rs 228.6 billion Shillong–Silchar Greenfield Expressway — a corridor connecting Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur, opening trade routes to the Bay of Bengal and ASEAN markets. French Investment and Opportunities Scindia highlighted the active presence of French companies such as TotalEnergies, Airbus, Dassault Systèmes, Decathlon, and POMA, which are contributing to the region’s transformation across green energy, aviation, design innovation, retail, and sustainable mobility. He invited French investors to explore opportunities in agri-business, renewable energy, tourism, handicrafts, smart urban infrastructure, IT, aerospace, and education, emphasising India’s pro-investment policies like UNNATI, PLI schemes, and single-window facilitation. Describing Assam as the nucleus of India’s Act East and Indo-Pacific vision, Scindia said, “The Northeast, with Assam at its heart, is India’s best-kept secret — serene in its beauty, strong in its spirit, and soaring in its potential.” He envisioned the forum as a platform to create a new Indo-French corridor that connects “technology with tradition, and innovation with inclusion.” A Bridge From Paris to Pasighat Concluding his address, Scindia said, “As India rises with confidence under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, and Assam leads the Northeast’s growth story, let us together turn this forum into a living bridge of opportunity — from the Brahmaputra to the Seine, from Paris to Pasighat.”