Parliament Question: IT infrastructure in North East region

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1673 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 13.02.2026 IT INFRASTRUCTURE IN NORTH EAST REGION 1673. SHRI BIRENDRA PRASAD BAISHYA: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether there is any IT infrastructure in place in entire North East Region (NER); (b) if not, any new project in place to establish IT infrastructure which will help to create job opportunities in entire region; and (c) the budget allocation for the NER region for IT infrastructure? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) to (c): The Government has implemented a range of initiatives including Data Centres, State Data Centres, supercomputing facilities, high-speed network connectivity under the National Knowledge Network, and various citizen-centric digital platforms to strengthen the digital ecosystem in all North-Eastern States. Details of initiatives taken for development of IT infrastructure in North-East Region is as mentioned below: - 1. Data Centre, Network and Compute: - Under this initiative following projects have been implemented: - 1.1. National Data Centre in North-Eastern Region (NDC-NER) 1.2. State Data Centres (SDCs) 1.3. Supercomputing Facility at IIT Guwahati 1.4. National Knowledge Network (NKN) (Details of the Projects is placed at Annexure-I) 2. Online Government and Citizen-Centric platforms: - Under this initiative following projects have been implemented: - 2.1. Hosting of e-office applications for 10 States/UTs (8 NE States, UT of J&K and UT of Ladakh) 2.2. Modernization/Digitalisation of Nagaland Fire & Emergency Management System (NFES-MS) 2.3. Nagaland Integrated Information System (NIIS) 2.4. Assam Unified Portal (AUP) (Details of the project is placed at Annexure-II) 3. Incubation, job creation and entrepreneurship: - Under this initiative following projects have been implemented: - 3.1. Centre of Excellence with Start-Up Innovation Zones (CoE-SIZ) 3.2. Digital Startup Accelerator Program for North-East (Digi-SAPNE) 3.3. Incubation facilities by Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) (Details of the Project is placed at Annexure-III)4. Projects by Ministry of Development of NE Region (MDoNER): - Under schemes of North-East Council (NEC) forty one (41) projects related IT infrastructure have been sanctioned out of which thirteen (13) projects have been completed till 31st January 2026. (List of the projects is placed at Annexure-IV) A budget of ₹ 1,576.86 crore has been allocated to Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) for North Eastern Areas during Financial Year 2026-27. ***** Annexure-I Data Centre, Network and Compute i. National Data Centre in North-Eastern Region (NDC-NER) To promote the development and strengthening of digital infrastructure and service delivery in the North-Eastern Region, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), through NIC, has established a National Data Centre in North-Eastern Region (NDC-NER) at Guwahati, Assam. The Data Centre is envisaged to host e-governance and citizen-centric government applications and to function as a central data centre hub for all North-Eastern States. ii. State Data Centres (SDCs): - State Data Centres (SDCs) have been established in all North-Eastern States to support digital services and enable efficient delivery of Government-to-Government (G2G), Government-to- Citizen (G2C), and Government-to-Business (G2B) services. The SDCs provide functionalities including secure data storage, centralized data repositories, online service hosting, disaster recovery support, and integrated state-level IT infrastructure management. iii. Supercomputing Facility at IIT Guwahati – The North-Eastern region is equipped with advanced national-level IT infrastructure through the 838 TeraFLOP Supercomputing System at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Assam setup by Centre for Development of Advance Computing (C-DAC). iv. National Knowledge Network (NKN): - The National Knowledge Network (NKN) supports digital traffic for National and State Data Centres (NDCs/SDCs), State Wide Area Networks (SWANs), and key Digital India services, thereby enabling Government-to-Government (G2G) and Government-to-Citizen (G2C) connectivity. It also interconnects educational and research institutions across the country through a high-speed network, catering to both Government (NGN) and Research & Education Network (REN) requirements. Status of NKN in NE States: A total of 157 National Knowledge Network (NKN) links have been established across the North-Eastern States, as per the following details: - Sr. No. NE States Number of links to the institutions 1. Arunachal Pradesh 9 2. Assam 68 3. Manipur 214. Meghalaya 17 5. Mizoram 8 6. Nagaland 11 7. Sikkim 8 8. Tripura 15 Total 157Annexure-II Online Government and Citizen-Centric platforms i. Hosting of e-office Applications for 10 States/UTs (8 NE States, UT of J&K and UT of Ladakh) This project provides cloud infrastructure for hosting the e-Office application for ten States and Union Territories including all eight North-Eastern States, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh on a unified, secure, and scalable cloud platform. ii. Modernization/Digitalisation of Nagaland Fire & Emergency Management System (NFES-MS) With funding support from Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), the Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services, Government of Nagaland, has implemented the Modernization/Digitalisation of the Nagaland Fire & Emergency Management System (NFES-MS). This initiative introduces a centralized digital management platform aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, ensuring cost-effective functioning, and improving overall service delivery. iii. Nagaland Integrated Information System (NIIS) NIIS is a centralized digital platform developed by the Government of Nagaland to integrate departmental data and applications for efficient governance. It enables real-time information management, sharing, decision support, and improved service delivery by providing a single, unified view of government data across departments. The project is funded by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). iv. Assam Unified Portal (AUP) AUP is a single-window digital platform of the Government of Assam that integrates multiple departmental services to provide seamless, citizen-centric service delivery. It enables online access to government services, applications, and grievance redressal through a unified interface. The project is funded by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).Annexure-III Incubation, job creation and entrepreneurship i. Centre of Excellence with Start-Up Innovation Zones (CoE-SIZ) The CoE–SIZ initiative supports startups in emerging electronics and IT domains by providing integrated services such as mentorship, cloud support, seed funding, and market access. Eight Centres of Excellence have been established across the North-Eastern States in two phases, with a total outlay of ₹ 68.73 crore. The project is currently under implementation, and 293 startups have been onboarded across these centres. ii. Digital Startup Accelerator Program for North-East (Digi-SAPNE) The Digi-SAPNE programme promotes and accelerates startups from the North-Eastern Region by enabling the development of scalable and socially impactful technology solutions, thereby fostering entrepreneurship and employment. Approved on 21st August 2024 with an outlay of ₹ 5.76 crore for three years, the initiative aims to support 36 startups across three cohorts. The first cohort comprising 12 startups from all eight North-Eastern States has been completed, and preparations for the second cohort are underway. iii. Incubation facilities by Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) For promoting job creation and entrepreneurship in the North-Eastern Region, the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) provides incubation facilities, High-Speed Data Communication (HSDC) services, cybersecurity support, and statutory services to the IT/ITeS industry and startups. STPI centres are operational across all eight North-Eastern States. Also, 18 centre/ Extension Centres of National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) are offering training programmes aimed at enhancing skills across the region.Annexure-IV List of IT Infrastructure supported by NEC in the last ten years (as on 31.01.2026) State Name Sr. Name of project No Across all 1 Tele-education project- Establishment of Smart Virtual Classrooms in NE States Aspirational District in NER- Education and Research Network (ERNET) 2 GeoTagging and Monitoring of NEC funded project/schemes in NE Region using Geospatial Technology and Tools: NESAC 3 Development of Geo Tourism Dashboard Application for planning, management and monitoring tourism activity in NE Region. North Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC) 4 Implementation of 7 regional Plan of Action (PoA) projects finalized as per NESAC Society in the domain of Agriculture & Allied, Disaster Management, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Water Resources Management during the meeting held on 23rd January, 2021. (PoA00l, PoA002, PoA003, PoA004, PoA005, PoA006 and PoA009) 5 Implementation of 11 Plan of Action (PoA) projects in the state of Arunachal Pradesh covering domain areas of Agriculture & Allied, Disaster Management, Forestry, Ecology & Environment, Human Resource Development, Medical & Health, Planning & Development, Transport & Communication and Water Resources Management (PoA020, PoA024, PoA026, PoA027, PoA028, PoA029, PoA030, PoA031, PoA032, PoA034, PoA036). NESAC 6 Development of North Eastern Transport Monitoring System (NETMOS): North Eastern Region Communicty Resource Management Society (NERCRMS) 7 Gati Shakti Based Planning & Site Selection Using Geospatial Technology for 8 States of NER. NESAC 8 Deepening of Scientific Research on 5G Use Cases for solving challenges of society. North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society (NERCORMS) Assam 1 5G Applications in NER with Hub at AMTRON, Guwahati. Assam Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (AMTRON) 2 Digital Design Labs for Livelihood Generation (henceforth been named in place of earlier name - Animation Lab for livelihood Generation)Assam Electronics Development Co-operation Limited (AMTRON) 3 Space-based land-use Intelligent System for Guwahati (SLIS-G) (PoA050) NESAC4 Implementation of 6 Plan of Action (PoA) projects finalized for the state of Assam as per NESAC Society meeting held on 23rd January, 2021 (PoA053, PoA060, PoA061, PoA062, PoA063, PoA064). NESAC Manipur 1 Setting up of Science Centre and Planetarium at Churachandpur, Manipur, Dept of Science & Technology, Govt. of Manipur 2 Setting up of Science Centre and Planetarium at Ukhrul, Manipur, Dept. of Science & Technology, Govt. of Manipur 3 Implementation of Chief Minister Dashboard-Real Time Monitoring of all Government Programme, Specially Beneficiary Oriented Programme. Directorate of Information Technology & Communication, Manipur 4 Implementation of 2 State Plan of Action (PoA) projects finalized as per NESAC Society in the domain of Water Resource for Manipur during the meeting held on 23rd January 2021. (PoA067, PoA068) NESAC 5 Installation of V-Sat System, LED Projector & LED Screen at PMKVY Training Centre, Ukhrul, Manipur for the FY 2017-18 NERCORMP Meghalaya 1 Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Remote Sensing (UAV-RS) for the States of NE Region (NER), Shillong (North-Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC)) 2 Establishment of NE RS & GIS Resource Network (NeSDR), North- Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC), Umiam, Shillong 3 Setting up of Digital Information System in Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE- DIS) {Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE} 4 Implementation of 2 Plan of Action (PoA) projects finalized for the states of Meghalaya as per NESAC Society meeting held on 23rd January 2021. (PoA069, PoA076) NESAC Mizoram 1 Project Proposal for Internet Connectivity to all Government Offices at District Level, Mizoram, Mizoram State e-Governance Society (MSeGS) 2 Establishment of Digital Planetarium at Lunglei, Mizoram. (Mizoram Science, Technology & Innovation Council, Govt. of Mizoram) 3 Enhancement of State Revenue through application of information Technology in monitoring Mineral Exploitations & Resource Mapping, Mizoram. (Directorate of Geology & Mining, Mizoram) 4 Rural Monitoring& Information System (RMIS), Mizoram 5 North-East Service Hub (henceforth been named in place of earlier name - Online Job Portal) . Mizoram Youth Commission, Govt. of Mizoram6 Development of Comprehensive and Integrated GIS based System for maintenance and Management of Land Records in Mizoram. Land Revenue & Settlement Department. (Programme Management Unit for NLRMP, Govt. of Mizoram) 7 Implementation of 3 State Plan of Action (PoA) projects finalized as per NESAC Society in the domain of Agriculture & Allied; Forest, Ecology & Environment and capacity building for Mizoram during the meeting held on 23rd January 2021. (PoA078, PoA079, PoA080) NESAC 8 IT Education Programme for 150 Schools in Mizoram, Mizoram State e-Governance Society (MSeGS), Aizawl Nagaland 1 Secure, Scalable and Intelligent network e-frastructure solution for SIRD (State Institute of Rural Development) Kohima, Nagaland, Societies for Training & Research on Rural Development (STRORD) State Institute of Rural Devp & Planning & Co- ordination Dept Govt. of Nagaland 2 Developing Information Technology Infrastracture in Schools for promoting Biodiversity Conservation, Nagaland (Nagaland State Biodiversity Board) 3 Building of IT Infrastructure and Modernization of Motor Vehicle Department, Nagaland, Motor Vehicle Dept. Govt. of Nagaland 4 Modern Equipments (IT Infrastructure) at all customary court in all 11 districts of Nagaland. Dept. of Justice & Law, Govt. of Nagaland 5 Computerization Networking & Modernization of Nagaland Legislative Assembly. Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat, Govt. of Nagaland 6 Implementation of 10 Plan of Action (PoA) projects finalized as per NESAC Society meeting held on 23rd January, 2021 for the state of Nagaland (PoA081, PoA082, PoA083, PoA084, PoA085, PoA091, PoA092, PoA093, PoA094, PoA095) Sikkim 1 Planning Resource Center-Open Data Center DPER & NECAD, Sikkim. 2 Development Planning Economic Reforms & North-Eastern Council Affairs (DPER & NECAD), Govt. of Sikkim 3 Installation of CCTV Cameras in the Police Stations of Sikkim. Home Dept. Govt. of Sikkim 4 CCTV surveillance of main towns and tourist places in Sikkim. Dept. of Information Technology, Govt. of Sikkim 5 Implementation of 3 Plan of Action (PoA) projects finalized for the states of Sikkim as per NESAC Society meeting held on 23rd January 2021 (PoA096, PoA098, PoA100) NESAC Tripura 1 Implementation of 3 Plan of Action (PoA) projects finalized for the states of Tripura as per NESAC Society meeting held on 23rd January 2021 (PoA101, PoA105, PoA110). NESAC*****