Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extolled the entrepreneurial vigour and rich cultural heritage of India’s Northeastern region, with particular praise for a home-grown fashion brand from Sikkim during the 122nd episode of his monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat.
Referring to the recently concluded Rising Northeast Investors Summit 2025, the Prime Minister underlined the Northeast's evolving role as a key driver in India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation, calling the region "extraordinary" for its talent and strength.
He spotlighted Crafted Fibres, a Sikkim-based brand founded by Dr Chewang Norbu Bhutia, a veterinary doctor-turned-entrepreneur, as a model of self-reliance and cultural rootedness.
“Just a couple of days ago, I went to the first Rising North East Summit. Before that, we also celebrated the 'Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav' dedicated to the strength of the Northeast. The North East is something extraordinary; its strength, its talent, is really amazing. I have come to know an interesting story about crafted fibres. Crafted fibres is not just a brand; it is a beautiful confluence of Sikkim's tradition, the art of weaving, and the sense of fashion today,” Prime Minister Modi said.
“It was started by Dr Chewang Norbu Bhutia, a Veterinary Doctor by profession. He thought, ‘Why not give a new dimension to weaving?’ And this thought gave birth to Crafted Fibres. He doesn't just make clothes; he weaves lives. He provides skill training to local people, making them self-reliant,” he added.
Also read: PM Modi inaugurates ‘Rising North East Investors Summit’ in Delhi
The Prime Minister also hailed the summit’s success in mobilising investor interest and generating business opportunities in the eight Northeastern states. The two-day event, led by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), was attended by global investors and yielded investment commitments totalling ₹4.3 lakh crore, according to an official release.
Key investment agreements included an MoU worth ₹250–300 crore between the Sikkim government and SM Hotels and Resorts. Arunachal Pradesh secured an MoU with the Farm Native Group worth ₹150 crore. The Meghalaya government entered a ₹4,000 crore agreement with Agri-Bio Fuels Global Ltd, alongside a ₹1,000 crore MoU with Inlambi Pvt Ltd. The latter also signed a similar MoU with the Manipur government.
Tripura, meanwhile, signed an agreement valued at ₹500 crore with the Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir Trust for establishing Sri Sri University and an Ayurveda College and Hospital.
In total, the summit recorded 803 investment intents through a combination of roadshows, business-to-government (B2G) meetings, and public-private initiatives. Roadshows alone contributed ₹99,533 crore in expressions of interest; PSUs accounted for ₹1.27 lakh crore; private industrial houses committed ₹1.58 lakh crore; and B2G meetings conducted during the summit secured investment promises exceeding ₹18,600 crore.
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