Guwahati, September 16: The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in association with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Office of the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) today organized the 4th North East Export Promotional Meet at Novotel Hotel, Guwahati, Assam. The event brought together policymakers, diplomats, trade officials, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs from across India’s North Eastern states, along with business delegations from neighboring countries.
Welcoming the dignitaries and participants, Ishantor Sobhapandit, Regional Director, ICC, North eastern region extended a warm greeting to delegates from the North Eastern states as well as international representatives from Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Thailand.
Sobhapandit underlined the importance of such forums in creating meaningful dialogues and trade linkages, noting that ICC is proud to play the role of a bridge, connecting businesses and fostering opportunities through these platforms. He further highlighted the strategic significance of North East India as a vital connector with Asian countries, and stressed that such initiatives must be continued consistently, with issues and recommendations systematically documented, to ensure better opportunities and tangible outcomes for the region in the future.
The inaugural session was graced by eminent dignitaries including A. Ajay Kumar, IFS, Joint Secretary (States Division), Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India, Namgay Pelden, Vice Consul of Bhutan to Guwahati, Zikrul Hasan Fahad, Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Satinder Kumar Bhalla, ITS, Secretary, North Eastern Council, Ministry of DoNER, and senior officials from the Government of Assam and other stakeholder institutions.
A. Ajay Kumar emphasized the Government of India’s commitment to strengthening connectivity, trade facilitation, and market access for the North Eastern Region (NER) as a vital part of India’s Act East Policy.
The meet also featured a Trade & Export Awareness Session, with expert inputs from the Land Port Authority of India, Department of Posts, DGFT, ECGC Limited, and cross-border chambers of commerce from Bangladesh and Nepal. Discussions focused on export facilitation, financing, logistics, and unlocking opportunities in regional and international markets.
The event concluded with a highly successful Buyer–Seller Meet. Indian exporters from all eight North Eastern states Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura along with other Indian states, held productive B2B interactions with international buyers from Thailand, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. These engagements generated promising opportunities in agriculture, food processing, handicrafts, textiles, and allied sectors.
