The second day of the North East India Infrastructure Summit and Exhibition 2026 featured a series of high-level brainstorming sessions that brought together policymakers, industry leaders and experts to deliberate on key sectors including tourism, MSMEs, infrastructure, connectivity and renewable energy across the North Eastern Region.
The session titled “Bringing Glory to Ashta Lakshmi: Nurturing Potential through Tourism” was chaired by Shri Pradyot Manikya Deb Barma, Chairman of the Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA Motha), Tripura, and co-chaired by Dr. Shakil P. Ahammed, IAS, Chief Secretary, Meghalaya.
The discussion focused on unlocking the immense tourism potential of the North East by moving beyond deliberations to actionable interventions. Panellists highlighted that sustained peace, improved connectivity and greater community participation are essential to transforming perceptions and accelerating tourism-led growth in the region.
Pradyot Deb Barma emphasised that the “real success of Meghalaya is its homestays,” reflecting the broader consensus that tourism must generate benefits across the entire ecosystem and ensure inclusive economic opportunities for local communities.
In his address following the session, he reiterated that tourism should benefit local communities by creating an ecosystem where people fully realise its economic and social potential.
During the discussion, Dr. Shakil P. Ahammed highlighted Meghalaya’s pioneering Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) initiative, under which communities are incentivised to protect and conserve forests.
He further outlined the state’s efforts to promote community-based tourism and entrepreneurship. He noted that the government provides a 70 per cent subsidy for individuals establishing homestays and has also launched the Chief Minister’s Boutique Homestay Scheme, under which eligible entrepreneurs can receive subsidies of up to ₹80 lakh for developing high-standard homestay facilities.