Overview
- The NEST Cluster at IIT Guwahati has been set up with Rs 22.98 crore to focus on grassroots innovation, semiconductors and AI, bamboo-based technologies, and biodegradable plastics.
- Foundation stones were laid for Rs 635 crore of works in Assam, including 65 secondary school buildings (Rs 455 crore), the Chayagaon–Ukium road upgrade (Rs 102.69 crore), and an RCC bridge at Silonijan–Dhansiri Par Ghat (Rs 20.59 crore).
- Industrial estates at Ramphalbil in Kokrajhar (Rs 14.40 crore) and Lakhibazar in Baksa (Rs 18.40 crore) were also announced to bolster local enterprise.
- Officials said NEST will complement youth initiatives NE-SPARKS and Ashtalakshmi Darshan, with plans for 3,200 students from across India to visit the Northeast and 800 Northeastern students to join ISRO exposure trips.
- Scindia tied the announcements to recent connectivity gains, citing an additional 6,500 km of national highways, airports rising from 9 to 17, and reduced Kolkata–Agartala travel time to about 10 hours via new links through Bangladesh.