The “North East India Festival”, is to be held from 19-21 September 2025 at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Festival will present products, tourist attractions and cultural heritage of North East India to Singapore, bringing North East India closer to Singapore. The Festival is organized by the High Commission of India and TrendMMS, and supported by the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Governments of the North East Indian States (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura).
Organised in the backdrop of the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore and the India–ASEAN Year of Tourism, the Festival will contribute to broadening and deepening economic and people to people linkages between North East India and South East Asia.
The Festival has been developed with inspiration from India’s Act East Policy, which aims to further strengthen India’s historic and multi-faceted bonds with South East Asia. Its first three editions were organised in Bangkok (2019 and 2022) and Ho Chi Minh City (2023).
The Festival will bring best of cultural presentations including folk dancers, rock bands, Bollywood music, spectacular fashion show with Indian designers. The Festival will also showcase best of products from the region including Tea tasting, curated craft exhibition, exhibition of organic products from India’s North East region. More than 400 people from India’s North-Eastern States are travelling to be part of this Festival.
The main Exhibition will be on 20 and 21 September from 10 AM – 10 PM. Around 60 stalls will showcase best of products having unique Geographical Indication (GI), products under One District One Product initiative, specially Agri-horti, food processing products of North East India. There will be a specially curated handicrafts exhibition by 10 award winning artisans. There will also be Assam tea showcase and tea tasting. Many Start up entrepreneurs from the region will present their ventures. Trade B2B meet is expected to witness participation of several Singaporean companies and major exporters from North East India.
Popular tourism destinations of North East India will be on display. The tourism pavilion will promote signature events such as the Hornbill Festival, Cherry Blossom Festival, and Tawang Festival, along with adventure travel routes that remain off the beaten track. Tourism B2B meet is expected to be attended by major tour operators of Singapore interacting with tour operators of North East India.
Around 150 folk dancers will present the diversity of North East India’s culture, Lion dance from Arunachal, Sattriya, Tiwa, Karbi dance from Assam, Manipuri dance, Hojagiri dance from Tripura, Warriors dance from Nagaland and many more. Special showcase by Indian cultural performers from SIFAS, Singapore will be an added attraction. Some of the top musical bands from Nagaland, Manipur, the heartthrob of the North East, Bollywood singer Zubeen Garg, Tripura rapper Borkung Hrangkhal, Popular rock bands of Meghalaya such as Meba Offilia, Garo band Nokpante, Six Frets, talented Nagaland folk rock singer Seyie Chuzo, Parmeta Reang will perform. The evening will also feature a spectacular fashion show showcasing the designs of talented designers of North East India including Bompi Riram, Sarleen Engtipi, Daniel Siyem, Iba Malai, Daisy Momin, ArbinTonjam, T Hmar, Chimi etc.
Article courtesy: High Commission of India, Singapore