Agartala/New Delhi, Mar 13: Tripura’s push to globalize its “Queen Pineapple” and the sacred Matabari pilgrimage site received a major federal boost this Friday. During a Consultative Committee session in the capital, Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia singled out these two assets as the primary economic drivers for the state’s tourism and export growth.
For local stakeholders in the Matabari circuit, the high-level focus signals a shift toward curated tourism experiences designed to turn regional spiritual sites into international destinations.
The Minister stressed that Tripura’s iconic pilgrimage site and its globally known pineapple variety represent the unique strengths of the North East that can drive tourism and economic growth.
The Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) chaired the Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry at the Parliament House Annexe.
Members of the committee, senior officials of the Ministry, the North Eastern Council, and the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd participated in the discussion.
During the meeting, Scindia underlined the growing role of the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) in boosting investment, creating jobs and strengthening entrepreneurship across the North Eastern region.
“NEDFi is increasingly emerging as a structural enabler of enterprise in the North East—boosting entrepreneurship, bridging MSME credit gaps, catalysing private investment and supporting livelihoods across the region,” he said.
How NEDFi contributing
Highlighting the institution’s financial contribution, the Minister said that by March 2025 NEDFi had extended financial assistance of ₹9,114 crore to 26,835 units. As a result, it catalysed nearly ₹23,670 crore in private investment and supported employment for around 15 lakh people across the North East.
He pointed out that every ₹1 invested by NEDFi has leveraged ₹2.6 from the private sector. This reflects strong investor confidence in the region. In addition, around 165 jobs are created for every ₹1 crore deployed, indicating efficient capital utilisation.
Bridging the MSME Credit Gap
Scindia said NEDFi plays a crucial role in bridging the MSME credit gap in the North Eastern region. He advised the institution to diversify its portfolio and move beyond micro enterprises to support more small enterprises as well.
The Minister also appreciated the institution’s financial discipline. NEDFi has already repaid ₹289.11 crore of interest-free loans without any default. Moreover, recent disbursements show stronger financial capacity, with ₹468 crore generated internally by the institution and ₹580 crore provided by the Ministry.
Investment Grounding and Regional Development
Referring to the North East Investors’ Summit, Scindia said around ₹35,000 crore worth of investments have already been grounded across various states. Earlier, investors had expressed interest worth ₹4.48 lakh crore during the summit.
He also highlighted tourism as a key driver of regional development. The Ministry is developing curated tourism circuits to enhance the overall visitor experience. Pilot projects are currently underway in Sohra and Matabari.
At the same time, the Minister reiterated the focus on promoting state-specific products as regional USPs. These include Kiwi from Arunachal Pradesh, Queen Pineapple from Tripura, organic produce from Sikkim, coffee from Nagaland, Muga silk from Assam, Polo from Manipur, Mizo ginger from Mizoram, and Lakadong turmeric from Meghalaya. (With PIB inputs)