‘Opening Up’ the Gateway: Situating the North East Region in India’s Paradiplomacy

Starting from the early 1990s, India has sought to ‘open up’ its North East Region (NER) as a ‘gateway’ to Southeast Asia, but it is yet to produce satisfactory outcomes. This article highlights India’s cautious diplomatic preferences that recognise the NER’s paradiplomatic ‘actorness’. It argues that New Delhi’s centripetal forces reprimand the NER to deal effectively with foreign entities independently or under the guidance of the Ministry of External Affairs. Consequently, the NER’s paradiplomatic role in India has remained inconsistent and ineffective. It is primarily because of structural constraints such as the centre’s interference, political instabilities and internal conflicts among the NER states. However, the significance of the NER in foreign policy implementation has been growing steadily. Although its influence on foreign policy-making remains limited, the region effectively deals with various foreign players and potentially connects Southeast Asia and beyond. Despite the lack of collective consciousness and assertiveness, some of the NER states have begun to effectively deal with foreign players at their individual state levels. India, by considering such developments, may explore the possibilities of transforming the collective NER as a paradiplomatic component of its wider diplomatic affairs.