The North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme – Other Than Roads and Bridges (NESIDS-OTRI) has sanctioned 29 infrastructure projects, with ₹462.21 crore incurred so far across the eight North Eastern states of India. These projects span critical sectors including health, education, aviation, telecom, and water supply, aiming to bridge development gaps in the region.
NESIDS-OTRI is a Central Sector Scheme fully funded by the Government of India, targeting non-road infrastructure to complement the massive road-building effort underway in the North East. Since 2014, the government has sanctioned 89,436 km of roads and 2,398 bridges, of which 80,933 km and 2,108 bridges have been completed in the region under various schemes, transforming connectivity.
The 29 projects sanctioned under NESIDS-OTRI include upgradation of district hospitals, construction of college buildings and hostels, expansion of airport facilities at smaller towns, laying of optical fibre networks for digital connectivity, and improvement of drinking water supply systems in remote tribal areas.
The eight beneficiary states — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura — each receive projects based on specific development needs assessed by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). The scheme reflects the Centre's Act East policy and its commitment to balanced regional development.
Analysts note that non-road infrastructure is crucial for sustaining economic activity in the North East, where terrain makes logistics challenging. Better health facilities reduce medical out-migration to major cities, while improved educational infrastructure retains talent within the region. Enhanced telecom and aviation connectivity opens pathways for tourism and trade, linking the region to South East Asian markets.