Northeast to Shine: Buddhist Tourism, Heritage Sites, and Pilgrim Amenities Get Budget Push

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, while presenting the Union Budget 2026–27 in Parliament, outlined a series of initiatives aimed at boosting tourism, healthcare, and cultural infrastructure across the country, with a special emphasis on the Northeastern Region and Purvodaya States.

Highlighting the strategic importance of the Northeast, Sitharaman proposed the creation of a Buddhist Circuit covering Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. The scheme will focus on the preservation of temples and monasteries, development of pilgrimage interpretation centres, enhanced connectivity, and pilgrim amenities, aiming to promote the region as a hub of spiritual and cultural tourism. She noted that the Northeast represents a unique civilizational confluence of Theravada and Mahayana/Vajrayana traditions, making it a significant cultural and heritage destination.

For the Purvodaya States, the Finance Minister announced the development of an integrated East Coast Industrial Corridor with a node at Durgapur, the creation of five tourism destinations, and the provision of 4,000 e-buses to enhance sustainable connectivity and mobility in the region.

On healthcare and medical tourism, Sitharaman proposed a scheme to support States in establishing five Regional Medical Hubs in partnership with the private sector. These hubs will function as integrated healthcare complexes combining medical, educational, and research facilities. They will include AYUSH Centres, Medical Value Tourism Facilitation Centres, diagnostics, post-care, and rehabilitation infrastructure, generating diverse employment opportunities for doctors and allied health professionals.

Addressing tourism development across the country, the Finance Minister announced plans to upgrade the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology into a National Institute of Hospitality, aiming to bridge academia, industry, and government. A pilot scheme will also train 10,000 tourist guides across 20 iconic sites through a standardized 12-week hybrid course in collaboration with an Indian Institute of Management. Additionally, a National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid will digitally document all cultural, spiritual, and heritage sites, creating jobs for researchers, historians, content creators, and technology partners.

The Budget also focused on adventure and nature tourism, with plans to develop ecologically sustainable mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Araku Valley, and Podhigai Malai. Coastal areas in Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala will see the development of Turtle Trails, while bird-watching trails are planned near Pulikat Lake in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Highlighting India’s wildlife conservation leadership, Sitharaman noted that India will host the first-ever Global Big Cat Summit, bringing together heads of governments and ministers from 95 range countries.

In heritage and culture tourism, the Finance Minister proposed transforming 15 key archaeological sites, including Lothal, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi, Adichanallur, Sarnath, Hastinapur, and Leh Palace, into vibrant, experiential cultural destinations. Excavated landscapes will be opened to the public via curated walkways, complemented by immersive storytelling, conservation labs, interpretation centres, and trained guides to enhance the visitor experience.

With these initiatives, the Budget seeks to strengthen the country’s tourism infrastructure, preserve cultural heritage, promote medical tourism, and create employment opportunities, while giving special attention to the Northeast and Purvodaya States, ensuring inclusive and sustainable development.

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