Jyotiraditya Scindia outlines banking expansion plans for Northeast India at Bankers' Conclave 2.0 in Agartala

Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said that various targets were set, including opening new bank branches, installing more ATMs, and connecting unbanked rural villages to banking systems during the North East Bankers’ Conclave 2.0 held in Agartala.

Following up on these targets between December 2024 and March 2026, 131 new bank branches were opened, 126 new ATMs were installed, and out of 9,479 villages identified to be linked with banking and postal services, 6,905 villages have already been connected. To ensure more people benefit effectively from banking services, the existing guideline requiring a minimum population of 3,000 to establish a brick-and-mortar branch has been lowered to a population threshold of 2,000 specifically for the Northeast states.

Scindia attended accompanied by Lalduhoma, Chief Minister of Mizoram attended the evey.


Scindia highlighted that the Northeast states possess a large working-age youth population, high literacy rates, and abundant natural resources. He shared that this marks his 35th visit to the Northeastern states during his tenure of 2 years and 8 months as the DoNER Minister. He emphasized the crucial importance of collaboration between banks and the government for the development of the region.

Scindia noted that 90.2% of non-branch transactions in the Northeastern states are conducted through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Scindia stressed the need to accelerate efforts to quickly connect the remaining 2,574 villages that lack bank or postal service links.

The DoNER Minister mentioned that extensive research and planning were conducted with NEDFi and the Department of Financial Services to organize the NE Bankers’ Conclave 3.0.

He added that the DoNER Secretary held individual consultations with representatives of each state to set specific targets. Targets have been set to increase the Credit-Deposit (CD) Ratio of banks: from 47% to 60% for Tripura, 60% for Arunachal Pradesh, and 67% for Mizoram. He explained that raising the CD Ratio increases the circulation of money within the state, making it a vital tool for development, and remarked that the acronym CD Ratio could even stand for ‘Credit for Development’.

Scindia lauded Mizoram as a state successfully implementing digital payments, as well as the PMJJBY and PMSBY schemes. At the same time, he stressed the importance of boosting efforts for registration under the PM Jan Dhan Yojana and PM Vishwakarma, noting that banking operations must place greater emphasis on expanding credit and lending.

The DoNER Minister stated that the deliberations at today's NE Bankers’ Conclave 3.0 were divided into four session themes: Last Mile, Loans, Livelihoods, and Lifelines. These encompass connecting unbanked villages to banks, Business Correspondents, or the India Post Payments Bank; intensifying loan disbursements to MSMEs and women entrepreneurs; undertaking initiatives to ensure sustainable livelihoods for farmers; and building better connectivity and infrastructure.

Scindia urged the gathering to formulate ten recommendations from each of the four sessions today, along with forty (40) actionable paths to fulfill them. He asked them to set timelines and clear metrics to execute these proposals, expressing his hope that the North East Bankers’ Conclave 4.0 will showcase even greater progress.

Lalduhoma stated that the most important function of a bank is not merely safeguarding the public's money, but creating opportunities for human upliftment and empowerment. He described banks and financial institutions as crucial drivers of state development, catalysts for various businesses, pillars of support for entrepreneurs, avenues for wealth creation, and vital tools for establishing sustainable livelihoods.

He pointed out that during the 2025-26 fiscal year, while Assam's Credit-Deposit Ratio stood at 73.52%, Nagaland's at 61.1%, and Tripura's at 61%, Mizoram lagged behind at 55.83%. He stated that this highlights the urgent need to step up efforts, with a target set to scale it up to 67% by the 2028-29 fiscal year.

Lalduhoma stressed that banks must expand their footprint beyond Aizawl into other districts and rural areas to remain easily accessible to those in need. Given that Mizoram boasts a high loan recovery rate, he urged banks to leverage this positive trait effectively.

Reviewing the Priority Sector Annual Credit Plan 2025-26, the Chief Minister stated that fresh impetus is needed to support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Strengthening MSMEs will generate vast, stable livelihood opportunities for farmers and skilled youth. He emphasized the importance of fostering collaboration between the government and the banking sector, noting that the Government of Mizoram is currently partnering with five (5) banks for its flagship initiative, the Bana Kaih Scheme (Handholding Scheme). This initiative aims to create sustainable livelihoods for reliable, skilled individuals and bring about economic development for the state.

To further improve the partnership between banks and the state government, the Chief Minister shared that the Government of Mizoram signed an agreement on 7th September 2026 to launch the ‘One Department, One Bank’ initiative. He also noted that systems like SNA SPARSH, the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), the Reserve Bank of India's e-Kuber system, and the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) are being effectively utilized for transparent and efficient public financial management. He added that the cheque system is planned to be phased out gradually.

Lalduhoma observed that while Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds are actively used to build development infrastructure in other Indian states, the Northeastern states receive very little CSR funding. He emphasized that a larger influx of CSR funding is critical for the Northeast states to transition onto a faster track of development. The Chief Minister concluded by urging banks to be more open to lending so that banking services reach the wider public, skilled youth secure stable livelihoods, entrepreneurs advance rapidly, and the state achieves swifter development.