For a long time, though, that promise remained largely rhetorical. The East, many noted, lagged behind the Western and Southern states in attracting investment, developing robust infrastructure, and building networks of innovation. Yet, in recent years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, several factors have converged to rewrite this script.
Among them is the growing emphasis on policies that explicitly recognise the role of Eastern India in shaping what the government refers to as ‘Viksit Bharat’, or a developed India. A turning point came in July 2024, when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the ‘Purvodaya’ plan during her Union Budget speech. The plan, which aims at holistic development in Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh, was heralded as a renewed commitment to unlock the region’s latent strengths.
It is important to note that Purvodaya itself is not a brand-new concept. Back in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of the need to uplift Eastern India while addressing a gathering in Paradip, Odisha, after dedicating a major oil refinery project to the nation. He made it clear that India’s long-term growth trajectory would remain incomplete if the eastern flank did not flourish. What has been catalysed now is a force multiplier to translate that vision into a strategic roadmap.
It must be stressed that Purvodaya should not be viewed in isolation. Instead, it forms part of a broader narrative that has taken shape through incremental policy shifts and infrastructural investments over several years. The Eastern states have gradually seen more emphasis placed on roads, railways, and energy corridors, as well as on educational reforms, skill development, and digital connectivity. Eastern India’s revival must be driven by recognising its cultural heritage, leveraging its natural resources more responsibly, and nurturing its human capital to foster new economic opportunities.The Eastern region’s ancient maritime traditions, for instance, are not merely a point of local pride but a potential blueprint for future connectivity. Centuries ago, Odisha’s shores launched ships that journeyed across the Bay of Bengal to Southeast Asia, forging ties of commerce, culture, and knowledge exchange. Those ancient routes, if not retraced, serve as symbolic reminders of the region’s historical capacity to engage globally. While the present-day push is about setting up airports, industrial corridors, and inland waterways rather than wooden vessels, the underlying ethos is the same: the East can reconnect with the world, only this time through modern infrastructure and strategic diplomacy.Recent national platforms have showcased Odisha’s ascent as a cultural and developmental powerhouse within India’s dynamic narrative. The Odisha Parba 2024, celebrated in New Delhi, served as a resounding tribute to the state’s enduring legacy and forward-looking contributions.
In his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored Odisha’s pivotal role in realizing the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat.’ Reflecting on the state’s ancient maritime prowess, he emphasized its historical significance as both a guiding light and a strategic framework for modern growth. Honouring luminaries like Gangadhar Meher and Bhakta Dasia Bauri reaffirmed the government’s commitment to elevate Odisha’s cultural and industrial prominence on the global stage.
In a few weeks, Odisha is set to host the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2025 in Bhubaneswar, a platform anticipated to welcome thousands of NRIs and global dignitaries. This grand event will not only underscore the state’s role as a cultural bridge between India and its diaspora but also as a burgeoning hub for international economic and cultural diplomacy.
While infrastructural connectivity and industrial investments may form the backbone of development, it is undisputed that Purvodaya’s true success will hinge on human resource development. After all, roads and ports alone cannot spark transformation if the local population is not equipped with the skills and knowledge to harness these opportunities.
Over the past decade, Eastern India has seen the establishment of premier institutions and training centres aimed at nurturing a new generation of innovators, researchers, and entrepreneurs. As educational initiatives mature, their graduates could provide the intellectual capital needed to complement the region’s abundant natural endowments, ultimately creating a virtuous cycle of talent feeding into growth, and growth reinforcing the demand for skilled professionals.
The security and stability of maritime routes have also gained prominence. The recent Navy Day 2024 celebrations underscored India’s maritime priorities. As Eastern India aspires to forge new trade links with Southeast Asia—a region once intrinsically tied to its destiny—the maritime domain naturally comes into play. The Indian Navy’s evolving role in ensuring safe and open sea lanes provides the strategic depth needed to transform eastern ports into bustling gateways of commerce. In this sense, cultural heritage, policy frameworks, infrastructural blueprints, and maritime security all serve as interlocking pieces in a puzzle that aims to reveal a more dynamic Eastern India.
The Eastern landscape is dotted with signs of change. Mega-projects in the steel and petrochemical sectors promise robust industrial growth. Energy corridors and refineries are helping the region leverage its strategic positioning along the eastern coastline. Digital connectivity, though still a work in progress, is steadily improving, promising a digitally literate workforce that can participate in the economy of tomorrow.
Above all, with a new State Government at the helm, the region’s leaders and populace are finally increasingly asserting their narrative. Instead of waiting to be discovered, Eastern India is beginning to define its place in the national conversation.
One might say that Eastern India’s trajectory represents a quintessential Indian paradox: a region that was once at the heart of historic global engagements needs to rediscover its relevance in a transformed world. The storyline, however, is far from static. With each incremental policy shift, each infrastructural addition, and each educational initiative, the narrative tilts more convincingly towards a future where the East stands not as an afterthought but as a front-runner.
The idea of Purvodaya—now deeply woven into the policy language—underscores that the quest for a Viksit Bharat cannot bypass the East. From forging stronger internal links to eyeing cross-border exchanges, from celebrating cultural histories to engineering modern hubs of trade, this moment could be Eastern India’s chance to reclaim its position at the centre of India’s national narrative.
It must be our vision that future historians look back on this period as the one when Eastern India’s latent strengths finally came into their own, powered by ideas, investments, and the intangible but invaluable currency of cultural memory. In doing so, they might say, the region managed to turn past glories and current ambitions into a roadmap for a more equitable and prosperous future—both for itself and for the nation it enriches.
