- Why in news
- On 6 August 2026, the Minister of State for DoNER told the Rajya Sabha how Act East Policy projects are linking the Northeast with Southeast Asia, including the Kaladan project, the IMT Trilateral Highway and the North East Economic Corridor task force report.
- What it is
- The Act East Policy is India's approach to economic and strategic engagement with the Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia. It puts the Northeast at the centre as India's land gateway to ASEAN. Cross-border roads, waterways, Integrated Check Posts and Border Haats are its main tools for connectivity and trade.
- Kaladan road link
- The road part is a 109 km two-lane highway from Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram.
- Trade infrastructure
- Integrated Check Posts and Border Haats strengthen trade links between the Northeast and Southeast Asia.
- Kaladan route
- Kaladan links Kolkata port to Sittwe port in Myanmar, then by the Kaladan river to Paletwa, then by road to Mizoram.
Don’t confuse with Act East vs Look East: Look East (1991) was an economic outreach to Southeast Asia. Act East (2014) adds strategic and security links and covers the wider Indo-Pacific, with stress on Northeast connectivity.
Don’t confuse with Kaladan vs IMT Highway: Kaladan is a multi-modal route (sea, river, road) from Kolkata to Mizoram via Myanmar. The IMT Highway is a road route from Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar.
International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.
Why it matters
- Gives the landlocked Northeast new routes to Southeast Asian markets and eases dependence on the Siliguri corridor.
- Strengthens India's strategic presence in Myanmar and ASEAN.
Problems
- Delays in the Myanmar sections due to instability and security issues in Myanmar.
- Weak trade volumes and thin border-market infrastructure limit benefits.
Way forward
- Speed up pending road sections and keep working with the Myanmar authorities on security.
- Link border infrastructure with investment, using the NEEC task force recommendations.
Put in your answer
Kaladan waterway: Waterway component completed and inaugurated in May 2023, an example of progress on Act East connectivity.
NEDFi: NEDFi backs MSMEs and startups in the Northeast through finance and the North East Venture Fund.
- 2026Prelims Q66Which listed projects are part of India-ASEAN cooperation: Kaladan, IMT Trilateral Highway, Agartala-Akhaura rail
- 2016Mains GS2 · Q18Evaluate economic and strategic dimensions of Look East Policy post Cold War
- 2026Mains GS1 · Q16Examine shift of global trade centre from Atlantic to Indo-Pacific
- 2023Prelims Q10Statements on East-West Corridor, Trilateral Highway to Chiang Mai, and BCIM corridor
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting topic: Kaladan project and IMT Trilateral Highway. International items are 61 of 327 Prelims questions, but this reply gives mostly status updates.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.