Vietnam: North East India Festival to Promote Act East Policy in Foreign Lands

HO CHI MINH CITY: The three-day North East India Festival (NEIF) aimed at promoting the Act East Policy is set to kick off in Vietnam. The event, starting on Friday, will witness discussions on bilateral trade and tourism, engaging stakeholders from both India and Vietnam.

The Consul General of India, Madan Mohan Sethi, will host the inaugural session of the festival's third edition, according to NEIF's Chief Organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta. The festival will serve as a platform for key stakeholders from both countries.

Held at 23rd September Park in Ho Chi Minh City, the festival aims to strengthen the ties between India and Vietnam through business, art, and culture. The Consul General emphasized that the event includes diverse activities, such as trade, tourism, and academic sessions, fostering business and academic connections between the two nations.

Sethi mentioned, "This event exemplifies our collective endeavor to bridge North East India with Vietnam through trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, aligning with the Act East Policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Organized in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, the festival's focus is to advance the Act East Policy by promoting trade, tourism, cultural interactions, and academic exchanges, Mahanta said.

The DONER (Development of North Eastern Region) ministry plans to host a meeting on tourism and facilitate interactions between tour operators from North East India and their Vietnamese counterparts. There will also be a trade meeting under the auspices of Invest India to showcase the North East as an attractive destination for investments, tourism, and bilateral trade.

Furthermore, a people-to-people exchange meeting is on the agenda to provide a platform for scholars, academicians, and historians from North East India to engage with their Vietnamese counterparts.

Mahanta expressed his appreciation for the substantial support received from the government of India and the state governments of the North East region, emphasizing that the festival has successfully opened up new avenues in India's relationship with South East Asia.

The festival will host various exhibitions, including 'Incredible India' destinations, textiles, state-specific exhibition zones representing various Northeastern states, and the tea industry, among others.

The entertainment line-up will feature cultural performances, colorful folk dances from North East India, rock bands from both countries, and fashion shows by designers from the region. The fashion show will feature models from Vietnam, Mahanta said.

Musical performances by TaFMA (Task Force for Music and Arts) from Nagaland, The Fantastic Company (TFS), Bright Lights, guitar prodigy Imnainla Jamir, Trance Effect, K L Pamei, and the popular band from Meghalaya, 'Summersalt,' will also be part of the occasion.

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