Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia on Monday chaired a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) to review the progress of the Ministry’s flagship Unique Selling Proposition (USP) initiative, aimed at transforming the region’s distinctive products into globally competitive brands.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State for DoNER Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, Members of Parliament representing the eight North Eastern states, and senior officials of the Ministry.
During the meeting, Members of Parliament shared state-specific feedback, implementation experiences and suggestions to strengthen the initiative. Discussions focused on improving market access, value addition, branding, logistics, export promotion, institutional support and coordination between the Centre and the states.
Addressing the meeting, Scindia emphasised that the USP initiative is fundamentally state-driven, with each state identifying its flagship product based on its comparative strengths and local aspirations. He said the Ministry’s role is to facilitate convergence among Central Ministries, state governments and other stakeholders to accelerate implementation.
Highlighting the Ministry’s whole-of-government approach, the Minister said MDoNER is bringing together Central Ministries, state governments, implementing agencies, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), industry partners, financial institutions and the private sector to ensure coordinated implementation of the flagship projects.
He said the initiative seeks to create complete market-linked development models that go beyond increasing production by focusing on quality improvement, processing infrastructure, branding, packaging, value addition and assured market linkages. The objective, he added, is to build globally competitive value chains that generate sustainable livelihoods for farmers, entrepreneurs and local communities.
The Ministry is currently implementing eight flagship missions across the North East, including the Kiwi Mission in Arunachal Pradesh, Muga Silk Mission in Assam, Lakadong Turmeric Mission in Meghalaya, Ginger Mission in Mizoram, Coffee Mission in Nagaland, Organic Agriculture Mission in Sikkim and Queen Pineapple Mission in Tripura.
Scindia informed the Committee that the Ministry’s immediate strategy is to establish one flagship product in each state before expanding to additional sectors in subsequent phases. He noted that product overlap among states would be acceptable where a state possesses a distinct competitive advantage or established market identity. Referring to Sikkim, he highlighted its status as India’s only 100 per cent organic state, giving it a unique advantage in international markets.
The meeting also reviewed measures to strengthen branding, logistics and export readiness for products from the region. Members suggested promoting North Eastern products through airports, Parliament outlets and dedicated marketing platforms. The Minister said efforts are underway to connect premium products from the region with international markets and major e-commerce platforms while strengthening processing infrastructure and value chains.
Members of Parliament also proposed measures to improve implementation, including the deployment of additional technical manpower, faster project approvals, stronger inter-ministerial coordination, enhanced support for certification and exports, and greater awareness and capacity building among farmers and producer groups.
Appreciating the suggestions, Scindia urged Members of Parliament to continue serving as facilitators between the Centre and the states to ensure timely and effective implementation of the flagship initiatives.
The meeting reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to transforming the unique strengths of the North Eastern states into globally competitive economic opportunities through quality production, value addition, robust logistics, stronger market linkages and collaborative governance, in line with the vision of building an Aatmanirbhar and Viksit North East.
