GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Assam is emerging as a model for the new future of the Northeast, the Ashtalakshmi. The progress of Assam is giving new momentum to the entire Northeast, PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister made the remark during the launch of multiple waterways projects with ₹526 crore investment in Assam on Friday. PM Modi dedicated a state-of-the-art elevated road corridor connecting Pandu Port in Guwahati to National Highway-27, while also laying the foundation stone for the Cruise Terminal at Biswanath Ghat and performing the Bhoomi Pujan for the Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel, Dibrugarh, and the Cruise Terminal at Neamati.
The four projects represent a combined investment of ₹526 crore to boost infrastructure on inland waterways on river Brahmaputra (NW-2), as these projects are being implemented by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).
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The Prime Minister announced that the work of building modern cruise terminals at the famous Neamati Ghat and Biswanath Ghat has also commenced from Friday. PM Modi emphasised that it is a step that will give a new direction to tourism and the local economy in Assam. The Prime Minister stated that the current government has viewed tourism as a major opportunity for employment and development. PM Modi noted that with this very vision, the possibilities of water tourism on the Brahmaputra River are being expanded.
“Tourism in Assam is no longer limited to just travel and sightseeing, it is becoming a new engine of local development and public prosperity,” asserted PM Modi.
The Prime Minister highlighted that once the cruise terminals are built, cruise operations on the Brahmaputra will advance further, and as cruise tourism grows, new employment opportunities will be created for local youth, artisans and handicraft workers will find new markets, and the income of small shopkeepers, boatmen, and people associated with hotels and transport will also increase.
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“These projects worth thousands of crores are creating new avenues of employment for Assam’s youth and are boosting the state’s prosperity,” asserted PM Modi.
Also speaking on the occasion, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said the projects inaugurated and initiated were a direct expression of Prime Minister Modi’s vision for a developed and connected Northeast.
“Prime Minister Modi ji has done what decades of governance could not — he has turned the Northeast from a region of promise into a region of progress. The Brahmaputra is no longer just a river. Under his leadership, it is becoming a highway of opportunity for millions of people. With his able leadership, the inland waterways are being transformed as the most economical and environment-friendly mode of transportation. Strengthening them has established the path of transformation of India’s logistics sector unlocking new growth opportunities,” Sonowal said.
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The elevated road corridor connecting Pandu Port Complex to NH-27, built with an investment of ₹180 crore, addresses the critical last-mile connectivity gap between one of NW-2’s principal river terminals and the national highway network. Engineered to bypass Guwahati’s urban congestion, the corridor ensures seamless two-access to Pandu Port, improving operational flexibility and port connectivity reducing logistic cost considerably.
The Cruise Terminal at Biswanath Ghat, for which the foundation stone was laid on Friday, is part of a coordinated effort to build modern cruise infrastructure along the Brahmaputra (NW-2). The terminal will enhance passenger amenities, support river cruise operations and generate fresh economic opportunities for local communities in tourism, hospitality and handicrafts.
The Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, for which the Bhoomi Pujan was performed, is being developed with an investment of ₹188 crore. The first maritime skill development hub of its kind in Northeast India, the RCoE will train over 5,000 students annually in vessel operations, inland navigation and maritime logistics.
It will also house research and development infrastructure for crew and trainee programmes, building the skilled manpower base that India’s expanding inland waterways sector requires. The Cruise Terminal at Neamati, also initiated through a Bhoomi Pujan on Friday, will strengthen cruise tourism and organised passenger movement along NW-2, improving infrastructure for tourists and communities along the Brahmaputra corridor. The two cruise terminal projects at Biswanath Ghat and Neamati carry a combined investment of ₹158 crore.