- Businesses in the northeast welcomed the Union Budget 2026 as growth-oriented and regionally aligned
- Tourism and connectivity focus supports regional development in the northeast
- DoNER allocation rose 47% to Rs 5,915 crore, seen as transformative for northeast development
Businesses in the northeast have welcomed the Union Budget 2026 and called it a growth-oriented document which is aligned with the region's development trajectory.
The Budget did not have any specific announcement for Assam, where election will be held soon. The focus on tourism, connectivity, MSMEs and green infrastructure, however, are likely to bring support for the ruling BJP, experts said.
These steps will provide employment to people in the northeast.
This budget will allow continuation of good work that was done in the northeast for the past couple of years. It also helps the inclusion of the northeast in India's growth story, they said.
The MSMEs were given support in the form of credit guarantees. Their liquidity has increased too. The new programme called 'SHE Mart' will help women in the region.
It is a Budget that continues to drive the northeast's growth journey. In fact, India's first semiconductor is coming up in Assam, and the Semiconductor Mission will help in that project.
"This incentive will enable India to build the entire value chain in semiconductors, so the Assam project is very important," Bhaskar Phukan, chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Assam chapter, told NDTV.
A key highlight for the Indian Chamber of Commerce was the announcement of a scheme to develop Buddhist circuits across six northeastern states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura.
The initiative, which includes conservation of monasteries and development of pilgrimage interpretation centres, will build improved amenities and better access infrastructure. This could position the region as a major spiritual and cultural tourism destination while enabling year-round tourism.
Mahesh Saharia, chairman of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, North East India Regional Council, said the Budget lays a sound foundation for socio-economic advancement in the region through higher capital expenditure, improved market access, agricultural reforms and sustained support for MSMEs.
The chamber also welcomed the proposed high-speed rail link between Siliguri and Varanasi and the deployment of 4,000 electric buses across the northeast, calling them transformative for public transport, last-mile connectivity and sustainable mobility.
The 47 per cent increase in allocation for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) to Rs 5,915 crore has been seen as a game-changer.
"Although the Union Budget does not specifically mention dedicated schemes for the northeast, several sectors included in the budget could benefit the region," said Dipak More, treasurer of FINER.
He said tourism initiatives such as the Buddhist circuit have been highlighted, along with the allocation of 4,000 e-buses nationwide. Schemes like 'One District One Product'; development of medical tourism hubs - five centres that may come up in the northeast; SHE Mart initiative, water tourism, and inland waterways are likely to provide indirect benefits to the region.
"This is not a very popular budget, but overall it is a balanced budget for the entire country," he said.
The Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) drew attention to the government's commitment to fiscal consolidation alongside the highest-ever capital expenditure of Rs 12.2 lakh crore, saying this balance would provide a strong push to infrastructure creation, investment and job generation.
FINER vice president Sandeep Khetan said tourism has emerged as a thrust area, which has also been strongly identified by Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to its positive results.
He said under the Unnati scheme, 15 new five-star hotels are expected to come up in Guwahati, with another six or seven hotels planned in Meghalaya and other locations.
"Some may view certain announcements in the context of the upcoming Assam elections, but the government has focused on population-driven development. We will certainly see the impact of these measures in the northeast," he said.
