Promises and Realities: The Act East Policy and SDG-Relevant Growth in Northeast India

The Act East Policy (AEP) reshaped India's relationship with East and Southeast Asia in 2014 by establishing the Northeast as an important gateway to the Indo-Pacific. Promising connection, commerce and modernisation, the policy was intended to stimulate inclusive growth in Assam and the entire Northeast. The study reveals a mismatch between the AEP’s ambitious promises and the developmental outcomes while evaluated through the lens of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study demonstrates a crucial imbalance through a mixed-methods approach that incorporates statistical text analysis, framing analysis, and correlation of SDG indicators: infrastructure growth under AEP has a strong alignment with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), but its impact on social inclusion (SDG 10) remains weak. According to district-level statistics from the region, advantages are most concentrated in urban and industrial hubs, exacerbating inequities between rural and peripheral areas. The findings indicate that even though AEP delivers India’s strategic objectives, but it often sidelines the regional development of the Northeast region. To address this imbalance, the research suggests reshaping the policy to include locally driven SDG assessments, participatory decision-making, and eco-friendly development that will make connectivity meaningful and sustainable.