06/08/2026
The CII North East organised the webinar “Buddhist Tourism: Unlocking the North East Advantage” on 6 August 2026 bringing together policymakers, tourism officials, industry leaders and stakeholders to deliberate on a collaborative roadmap for positioning the North East as a premier Buddhist tourism destination.
The webinar commenced with the Welcome Address by Shri Pradeep Bagla, Chairman, CII North East Council, followed by the Context Setting by Shri Jayanta Das, Chairman, CII North East Sub Committee on Tourism. The Special Address by Dr R K Suman, Deputy Director General & Regional Director (North East), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, highlighted the immense opportunities for developing Buddhist tourism in the region.
State perspectives were presented by Shri Aniruddha Roy (Tripura), Shri Rimp Dorjee Lepcha (Sikkim) and Smt Moitreyee Das (Assam), showcasing the diverse Buddhist heritage and emerging tourism opportunities across the region. The panel discussion, moderated by Shri Arijit Purkayastha, featured Shri Sony Virdi, Shri Tsering Wange, Shri Pagambam K, Dr Shreya Barbara and Shri Saikat Das, who shared valuable insights on destination development, community participation, connectivity and creating an integrated Buddhist Tourism Circuit for North East India.
A key takeaway from the deliberations was the need for the North Eastern states to move beyond individual destination promotion and collectively build a unified Buddhist tourism narrative. By connecting monasteries, heritage sites, cultural traditions and community based experiences across state boundaries, the region can create a compelling tourism proposition for domestic and international travellers.
The discussions reinforced the importance of stronger inter state collaboration, strategic branding, improved connectivity, infrastructure development and greater industry participation to unlock the Northeast’s immense Buddhist tourism potential.
Confederation of Indian Industry Ministry of Tourism, Government of India Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Government of India
