Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's HIRA model for transforming the state from a landlocked territory into what he described as a 'vibrant gateway to Southeast Asia,' invoking the blessings of Mata Tripura Sundari upon the Prime Minister as India advances toward the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.

Context

In his post, Dr. Saha stated that 'the people of Tripura will forever remain grateful' to the Prime Minister for his 'visionary HIRA model.' He highlighted that modern infrastructure, enhanced connectivity, and expanding opportunities have repositioned Tripura — a state sharing borders with Bangladesh on three sides — as a strategic corridor toward Southeast Asia. The Chief Minister also noted that the North East has 'secured a significant place in the mainstream of India's development journey' under the current central leadership.

The HIRA framework — standing for Highways, Inland Waterways, Railways, and Airways — is the central government's integrated approach to ending the Northeast's long-standing geographic isolation. Dr. Saha closed his message with a prayer, asking that the blessings of the presiding deity Mata Tripura Sundari grant the Prime Minister 'strength and inspiration in his unwavering service to the nation.'

Policy Backdrop

The HIRA model sits within a broader policy architecture that the central government has built since 2014. The Act East Policy, launched that year, was designed to deepen economic and connectivity ties between India's Northeast and the ASEAN bloc, using states like Tripura as natural land bridges toward Myanmar and beyond. The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, introduced in 2021, further coordinated multimodal infrastructure projects across the region under a single planning framework.

Together, these initiatives represent a sustained shift in central investment priorities — from treating the Northeast as a peripheral security concern to positioning it as a trade and transit frontier. Tripura's geographic proximity to Bangladesh's Chittagong port and the broader Bay of Bengal economy makes it a particularly significant node in this vision.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of this infrastructure push are Tripura's approximately 40 lakh residents, who have historically faced high freight costs and limited market access due to the state's near-encirclement by Bangladesh. Improved rail and road links — including projects such as the Akhaura-Agartala rail connection — have begun to reduce logistical barriers for local businesses and agricultural producers.

Northeast businesses more broadly stand to gain from expanded cross-border trade routes, while the central government reinforces its strategic argument that infrastructure investment in frontier states yields both economic and diplomatic dividends with neighbouring countries and the wider ASEAN region.

What's Next

Attention will now focus on the completion timelines of pending rail and road corridors in Tripura and whether fresh funding allocations under schemes such as PM-DevINE or the Gati Shakti master plan will accelerate remaining gaps in the connectivity network. As India moves toward the Viksit Bharat @2047 centenary milestone, the Northeast's integration into national economic frameworks is expected to remain a prominent policy benchmark — and a recurring political touchstone for regional leaders.