Rs 1L-cr boost puts northeast at heart of Viksit Bharat goal, unlocks new job opportunities

Guwahati: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the Budget 2026-27, has placed special emphasis on the northeast to accelerate development and unlock new employment opportunities, which forms a part of her ‘third kartavya’ to deliver the govt’s broader ‘Sankalp’ for a Viksit Bharat.

Sithraman’s big proposals include launching a scheme for development of Buddhist circuits across Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, under Champion Services Sector Scheme and a first-ever special development package for reformed Ulfa, while enhancing total allocation to the region to over Rs 1.08 lakh crore, a sharp rise from the revised estimates of Rs 88,000 crore of last budget.




The Champion Service Sector Scheme is formulated with a view for development of the tourism sector to make India a more competitive destination and provide a more enriching experience to the tourists. It includes sub-components to support creation of tented accommodation in Buddhist circuit, incentives for improving air connectivity for iconic sites and Buddhist tourism, capacity building programs in and around iconic sites, incentives for tour operators in emerging markets and promotion of meeting, incentive, conference and exhibitions tourism.

“The northeastern Region is a civilisational confluence of Theravada and Mahayana/Vajrayana traditions,” she said in her speech, adding that “this scheme will cover preservation of temples and monasteries, pilgrimage interpretation centres, connectivity and pilgrim amenities.”

On agriculture, Sitharaman has proposed support for high-value agar trees in the northeast and nuts such as almonds, walnuts and pine nuts in hilly regions, aimed at boosting farmer incomes and diversifying rural livelihoods.

In her budget speech she said accomplishing the “third kartavya” requires “targeted efforts” to focus on the “Purvodaya states and the northeast region to accelerate development and employment opportunities,” along with increasing farmer incomes through productivity enhancement and entrepreneurship, with special attention to small and marginal farmers, empowering Divyangjan through access to livelihood opportunities, training and high-quality assistive devices, empowering the vulnerable to access mental health and trauma care.

The coming fiscal’s highest allocation of over Rs 18,000 crore is under ministry of road transport and highways, followed by over Rs 13,000 crore under department of agriculture and farmers’ welfare and over Rs 10,000 crore under department of rural development.

Under the special development packages, funds will be directed towards infrastructure and development projects to uplift marginalised communities, while promoting inclusive growth. Three new components have been introduced for Adivasi groups of Assam, Dimasa people of Assam and tribals of Tripura, alongside continuing packages for the Bodo, Karbi and Dima Hasao autonomous councils.