Mainstreaming the Northeast in India’s Look and Act East Policy

This book provides a detailed account of the evolution of India’s Look and Act East Policy, addressing the nuances of the policy and its efficacy for the Northeast Region. The Northeastern India as a region is landlocked, sharing most of its boundary with neighbouring countries of South and South East Asia. It empirically explores the progress in and prospects for trade, investment and connectivity between Northeast India and Southeast Asian countries. Further, it discusses a range of regional and sub-regional multilateral initiatives – e.g. the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM), and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) – that could potentially strengthen the cooperation between Northeast India and neighboring regions in the social, cultural and economic spheres.

Prof. Atul Sarma is currently Chairman Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, Guwahati and also Visiting Professor at Institute of Human Development, New Delhi. He was Head and Professor of Economics at Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi and also Vice Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University. He was also ICSSR National Fellow. Prof. Sarma was Member of the Thirteenth Finance Commission. He authored several books and a large number of research papers in reputed national and international journals in the areas of Public finance and policy and Development economics.

Dr. Saswati Choudhury is currently Associate Professor Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, Guwahati. She has co-authored a book Education for Capability: Myth and Reality of School Education with Prof. Indranee Dutta.

Other Contributors:

Rakhee Bhattacharya is currently Associate Professor at North East India Studies Programme at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.

Gorky Chakraborty is currently Associate Professor at Institute of Development Studies Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Piti Srisangnam is currently Director of Academic Affairs, ASEAN Studies Center at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.

Anupama D. Masali is with the Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

Shankaran Nambiar is a Senior Research Fellow at the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER).

Bhagirathi Panda is currently Professor of Economics at North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India.

H.S. Srikanth is currently Professor at the Department of Political Science, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India.

Dr. Fernandes is the founder Director of North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati and is currently a Senior Fellow at the Centre.

Rajib Bhattacharya is a Chevening Fellow and senior journalist in Guwahati. He had been associated with Times Now, The Telegraph and The Indian Express.

Sudhir Devare is former Ambassador and former Secretary Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. He is currently the ‘Ram Sathe Chair’ Professor in International Studies at the Symbiosis International University, Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Munmun Majumdar is Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, North Eastern Hill University, Mawkynroh, Umshing, Shillong, India.