Why in news?
MEA said Japan-Northeast India projects will be strengthened after Japan-Bangladesh agreements on Matarbari deep sea port connectivity.
UPSC Relevance
Prelims – Matarbari port, BIG-B, Kaladan project, Trilateral Highway, Maitri Setu, Siliguri corridor.
Mains – GS2: India and its neighbourhood, bilateral and regional groupings, effect of policies of other countries on India’s interests.
Act East Policy
- Look East Policy (1991) – Started under PM P.V. Narasimha Rao after the end of the Cold War and the economic crisis. Focus was mainly economic – trade and investment with ASEAN countries.
- Act East Policy (2014) – Announced by PM Narendra Modi at the East Asia Summit in Naypyidaw, Myanmar in November 2014. It widened the focus to security, strategy and connectivity, and from ASEAN to the wider Indo-Pacific including Japan, South Korea and Australia.
- The 4 Cs – Culture, Commerce, Connectivity and Capacity building.
- Northeast as the gateway – Under Act East, the Northeast is no longer seen as a remote frontier but as India’s bridge to Southeast Asia.
Why does the Northeast need outside connectivity?
- Landlocked region – The eight Northeastern States share about 98% of their borders with other countries – China, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal.
- Siliguri corridor – The region is linked to the rest of India only through the narrow ‘Chicken’s Neck’, about 20-22 km wide at its narrowest. This makes it vulnerable in both economic and security terms.
- High transport cost – Goods from Agartala to Kolkata through Indian territory travel over 1,600 km. Through Bangladesh, the distance to the sea is much shorter – Chittagong port is about 75-80 km from Sabroom in Tripura.
- Development gap – Poor industrial base, low private investment and limited jobs have long held the region back.
- Strategic angle – China’s growing presence in Myanmar and Bangladesh and its claims in Arunachal Pradesh make a strong Northeast important for national security.
Japan’s role in the Northeast
- Unique position – Japan is the only country India has formally allowed to work on development projects in the Northeast on a large scale, given the region’s sensitivity.
- India-Japan Act East Forum (2017) – Set up to coordinate Japanese projects in the Northeast. It is co-chaired by India’s Foreign Secretary and the Japanese Ambassador to India.
- Historical link – The Battles of Imphal and Kohima (1944) during World War II connect Japan with the region. Japan has supported peace memorials in Manipur.
- Bay of Bengal value chain – In March 2023, then Japanese PM Fumio Kishida proposed an industrial value chain linking the Bay of Bengal, Northeast India and Bangladesh as one economic zone.
- Skills and people – Japanese language is being taught to the working population in the Northeast, to prepare them for jobs with Japanese firms and in Japan.
Major Japanese-assisted projects in the Northeast
| Project | State | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project | Meghalaya, Mizoram | Upgrading national highways, e.g. Shillong-Dawki (towards Bangladesh border) |
| Dhubri-Phulbari bridge over Brahmaputra | Assam-Meghalaya | India’s longest river bridge under construction; cuts long road detours |
| Guwahati Water Supply and Sewerage Projects | Assam | Urban water supply and sanitation |
| Umiam-Umtru hydropower renovation | Meghalaya | Modernising old hydropower stations |
| Forest and biodiversity management projects | Tripura, Sikkim, Nagaland | Livelihood and forest conservation |
The Bangladesh link – Matarbari and BIG-B
- BIG-B – The Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt was launched by Japan and Bangladesh in 2014. It aims to develop an industrial belt along the Dhaka-Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar corridor.
- Matarbari – Located in Cox’s Bazar district, it is being built by Japan with JICA funding along with a coal power plant. As a deep sea port it can handle large ships that Chittagong cannot.
- Benefit for India – Cargo from Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Assam can reach world markets faster through Bangladeshi ports instead of going around via Kolkata.
- Existing India-Bangladesh links – Agreement on use of Chittagong and Mongla ports (2018), Maitri Setu over the Feni river (2021) linking Sabroom with Ramgarh, and the Agartala-Akhaura rail link (2023).
- Recent concerns – In 2025, remarks by Bangladesh’s interim leadership describing the Northeast as ‘landlocked’ and Bangladesh as the region’s access to the ocean caused unease in India. India later withdrew the transshipment facility for Bangladeshi export cargo. A new government in Dhaka opens space for a reset.
Other connectivity projects for the Northeast
| Project | Countries | Route / Status |
|---|---|---|
| Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project | India-Myanmar | Kolkata to Sittwe port by sea, then river and road to Zorinpui (Mizoram); road section delayed due to conflict in Myanmar |
| India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway | India-Myanmar-Thailand | Moreh (Manipur) to Mae Sot (Thailand); delayed |
| BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement (2015) | Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal | Free movement of vehicles; Bhutan has not ratified |
| Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route | India-Bangladesh | Inland waterway route on rivers linking Kolkata with Assam |
Challenges
- Internal security – Ethnic violence in Manipur since May 2023 and pockets of insurgency discourage investors and slow projects.
- Myanmar crisis – The civil war after the 2021 military coup has stalled the Kaladan project and the Trilateral Highway.
- Political shifts in Bangladesh – Change of governments affects transit and port access. Connectivity depends on the goodwill of Dhaka.
- China factor – China’s projects and loans in Bangladesh and Myanmar compete with India-Japan plans.
- Ground-level hurdles – Difficult terrain, floods, land acquisition issues involving community land, and slow approvals.
- Low industrial base – Without factories and value chains, ports and roads may carry little cargo.
Way forward
- Trilateral framework – An India-Japan-Bangladesh mechanism to plan the Matarbari-Northeast corridor together, with clear timelines.
- Industry before infrastructure ends – Use schemes like UNNATI and PM-DevINE to build industrial clusters – agro-processing, bamboo, tea, pharma, electronics – that can use the new routes.
- Peace dividend – Faster resolution of conflicts in Manipur and the region is a must for investor confidence.
- Diversify routes – Do not depend on one country – develop Bangladesh, Myanmar and inland waterway routes together.
- People-to-people ties – Expand Japanese language training, skill programmes and the Specified Skilled Worker route for youth from the Northeast.
- Local voices – Involve State governments, autonomous councils and local communities in planning so that benefits reach the people.
Japan brings money, technology and trust, while Bangladesh holds the key to the sea. If India can bring these together, the Northeast can change from a frontier at the edge of the map into the front door of Act East.
Practice MCQ
Q1. Consider the following pairs:
| Project / Port | Location |
|---|---|
| 1. Matarbari deep sea port | Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh |
| 2. Sittwe port | Chittagong, Bangladesh |
| 3. Maitri Setu | Feni river |
| 4. Dhubri-Phulbari bridge | Brahmaputra river |
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Pair 2 is incorrect. Sittwe port is in Rakhine State of Myanmar and is part of the Kaladan project.
Q2. Consider the following statements:
1. India’s Act East Policy was announced at the East Asia Summit held in Myanmar in 2014.
2. The India-Japan Act East Forum is co-chaired by India’s Foreign Secretary and the Japanese Ambassador to India.
3. The Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B) is an initiative launched by India and Bangladesh.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Statement 3 is incorrect. BIG-B is a Japan-Bangladesh initiative launched in 2014.
Mains Practice Question
Q. “The success of India’s Act East Policy depends as much on its neighbours as on the Northeast itself.” In this context, examine the role of Japan in the development of Northeast India and discuss the challenges in linking the region with the Bay of Bengal. (15 marks, 250 words)
Tell Google you want more of this.
Add Anantam IAS as a preferred sourceOne tap, and this site shows up more often in your own Top Stories, AI Overviews and AI Mode. Remove it any time.
