Japan will support plans to improve connectivity between Northeast India and the Bay of Bengal as part of broader regional cooperation across South and Southeast Asia, Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Horii Iwao said on Friday.
Speaking at the Sixth India-Japan Intellectual Conclave in Shillong, Meghalaya, the Japanese minister said the northeastern region holds strategic importance and can become a major growth centre if better connected with neighbouring countries and maritime routes.
"Japan will support connectivity linking Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. Northeast India is located in a pivotal geopolitical position as a gateway to Southeast Asia," Horii said during the event organised by Shillong-based think tank Asian Confluence.
He noted that stronger infrastructure links could integrate the region with neighbouring economies including Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Southeast Asian nations, creating new opportunities for trade, logistics and industry.
Northeast as a gateway to Southeast Asia
According to Horii, Northeast India’s location makes it a natural bridge between India and Southeast Asia. If connectivity projects are expanded, the region could become an important economic corridor linking landlocked areas with maritime trade routes.
"When we view this region as part of a broader economic zone encompassing Nepal, Bhutan, India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia, it has the potential to serve as a powerful engine of growth," he said.
The Japanese minister also reaffirmed Tokyo’s commitment to supporting development projects in India’s northeastern states. Apart from infrastructure and connectivity, Japan is looking to expand cooperation in areas such as semiconductors, clean energy, economic security and private-sector investment, he added.
The comments were made in the context of the increasing strategic partnership between India and Japan in the context of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision outlined by the Japanese government. Horii also stated that an industrial value chain is in the process of being developed to connect the region of Northeast India with the Bay of Bengal region, which could help improve access to the sea and global supply chains.
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The relationship between India and Japan has been strengthened in recent times, with high-level officials visiting both countries frequently. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Japan in August 2025, followed by a meeting between Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the G20 Summit in South Africa. This year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in New Delhi.
Improved connectivity between the Northeast region of India and the region is expected to help in the development of trade routes for the long-term development of the region in the eastern part of the country.
