Northeast India key to Indo-Pacific vision: U.S. Consulate

India’s Northeast is emerging as a strategic bridge to regional and global markets under the Indo-Pacific framework, the U.S. Consulate General Kolkata said at a dialogue held in Kolkata on Thursday.

The event, hosted with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), highlighted the growing U.S.–India partnership and the Quad’s vision of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

U.S. Consul General Kathy Giles-Diaz said improved connectivity across Eastern and Northeastern India—through ports, railways, roads, waterways and digital corridors—would integrate the region into global supply chains, boost trade and create jobs. She underscored Kolkata’s historic role as a gateway to the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia.

The dialogue stressed maritime security, port infrastructure and supply-chain resilience as key priorities, noting the role of ports like Kolkata and Haldia in regional stability.

Insights from the Northeast-focused discussions will feed into national-level policy talks scheduled in New Delhi in March.