Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched development projects worth Rs 23,550 crore from Silchar in Assam, performing the 'Bhumi Pujan' for three major infrastructure initiatives aimed at transforming connectivity and economic prospects in the long-underserved Barak Valley.

The ground-breaking covered the Silchar High-Speed Corridor (Rs 22,864 crore), the Silchar Town Flyover (Rs 565 crore), and the Patharkandi Agricultural College in Karimganj district (Rs 122 crore).

The centrepiece is the 166-km Silchar-Shillong High-Speed Corridor — set to become the Northeast's first access-controlled expressway. Linking Assam and Meghalaya, the project will slash travel time between Guwahati and Silchar from 8.5 hours to approximately 5 hours, significantly boosting regional trade and cross-border connectivity.

The proposed elevated corridor on NH-306, running from Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point, will decongest one of Silchar's busiest stretches and improve links with Mizoram, Tripura, and Manipur. The new agriculture college at Patharkandi will provide students from Barak Valley and neighbouring regions access to quality agricultural education without having to travel far.

Addressing a large public gathering, PM Modi said Barak Valley — historically a vital trade hub — had been left to stagnate due to decades of Congress neglect. He asserted that the Northeast was now at the forefront of India's Act East Policy, with Barak Valley poised to serve as a strategic corridor connecting India with Southeast Asia.

On the prevailing global conflict situation, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to shielding Indian citizens from the economic impact of ongoing wars.