Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region and Education, Dr Sukanta Majumdar, addressed the North East Bankers' Conclave 3.0 at Mizoram University in Aizawl on 13th October 2026, calling for faster expansion of banking services and greater access to credit in the Northeastern Region. He emphasized the need for stronger coordination between banks and State Governments to accelerate economic growth in the region.
Dr Majumdar highlighted the progress in financial inclusion, noting that 131 new bank branches have been opened and 126 ATMs installed across the Northeast. Of the 9,479 identified villages, 6,905 villages (approximately 73%) are now connected to a bank branch or India Post Payments Bank (IPPB). However, 2,574 villages remain uncovered, with 2,515 to be connected through India Post Payments Bank and 59 through physical bank branches.
The Minister expressed concern over the Credit-Deposit (CD) ratio in the region, noting that while Manipur and Assam are at or above the national ratio of 79.5%, Mizoram and several other Northeastern States lag behind. He stressed the need to turn regional savings into local investment and business opportunities.
To improve credit flow, Dr Majumdar called for bank-specific lending targets, regular reviews through State Level Bankers' Committees (SLBCs), reliable land records, complete Aadhaar seeding of eligible CASA accounts, and wider participation in PM SVANidhi. He encouraged banks to proactively examine viable loan proposals from farmers, MSMEs, women entrepreneurs, and tourism enterprises.
Dr Majumdar identified major challenges including lack of suitable buildings, all-weather roads, and VSAT or fibre connectivity. He urged Chief Secretaries to assign clear responsibilities and timelines for every pending location and asked banks to operationalize prepared locations quickly, deploying Business Correspondents and BC-Sakhis where full-fledged branches are not feasible.
The Minister referenced the six-point roadmap adopted at the North East Bankers' Conclave 2.0 in Agartala in December 2024, which focused on increasing bank branches and ATMs, connecting unbanked villages, improving coverage in low-density districts, adapting banking norms to regional conditions, and ensuring universal access to Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). As part of these efforts, the population norm for establishing a bank branch in the Northeast has been reduced to 2,000 on a cluster basis compared to the national norm of 3,000.
Dr Majumdar emphasized that infrastructure development must be supported by accessible and affordable credit to help farmers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses benefit from new economic opportunities. The conclave featured four breakout sessions focusing on banking infrastructure, MSMEs and women entrepreneurs, agricultural finance, and infrastructure financing.
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, the Central Government continues to address policy barriers and monitor progress on the banking roadmap. Dr Majumdar urged State Governments, banks, and Central agencies to work together with clear responsibilities and firm deadlines to deliver results on the ground.