India’s ‘Purvoday’: Economic recovery turning the eastern states into diplomatic players

For decades, India’s eastern flank was synonymous with conflict, blockades, economic and developmental distance from the rest of the country. That picture is changing fast. In February 2025, Assam drew investment commitments worth around Rs. 4.91 lakh crore at a single summit attended by around 62 foreign missions. A few months later, a high-level European Union delegation toured all eight north-eastern states. West Bengal, after a change of government in May 2026, has announced a ‘Viksit Bangla’ roadmap of its own. Across Assam, the North-East, West Bengal and the resource-rich states of  Jharkhand and Odisha, a quieter shift is already underway. States are using their economic recovery to engage directly with foreign governments and investors, a practice known as ‘para-diplomacy’.