For decades, North East India was treated as a distant frontier with its vast potential largely overlooked. Over the last few decades, this region has witnessed rapid changes in land use pattern, demographic composition and economic practices. Owing to its unique geographical positions, ethnic diversity and rich natural resources, the region is full of opportunities to become engine of growth for the whole nation. In recent days, the region has increasingly drawn the attention of policymakers and has made gradual progress. However, several challenges remain to be addressed. This reflects in its relatively weak performance in certain Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, there is a need to analyse the transitions that have taken place in North East India to identify the emerging issues as well as the region’s vast potentialities. At a time when the region is undergoing rapid socio-economic, cultural, and developmental transformations, a dedicated volume that critically documents and reflects upon these changes becomes essential to inform policy, research, and future pathways of sustainable growth. Accordingly, this edited volume titled “North East India in Transition: Land People and Economy” seeks to bring together original research, case studies and review article in the intertwined themes of Land, People and Economy to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ongoing transitions in North East India. This edited volume is an academic initiative of the Department of Economics, Assam Women’s University, Jorhat, Assam (India).

Dr. Debakshi Bora is an Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Economics at Assam Women's University, Jorhat, Assam (India). She has been teaching at the postgraduate level since 2018. She pursued her PhD in Economics from Dibrugarh University, Assam with a doctoral thesis titled “Livelihood Diversification among the Plains and Hill Tribes of Assam: A Case Study,” focusing on essential development- related economic issues of tribal communities. Her research interests include Development Economics, Demography, Financial Economics, Environmental Economics and Tribal Studies in Northeast India. Dr. Bora has presented over 20 papers at national and international conferences. She has also published in reputed Scopus-indexed journals, including Q1 and Q2 journals by leading publishers such as Wiley, Sage, and Springer. Additionally, she has contributed more than 10 chapters to edited volumes.

Dr. Biswajyoti Sarmah is the Deputy Controller of Examinations at Assam Women's University, India, and former Head of the Department of Economics. He holds an MPhil and PhD in Economics, with expertise in development economics, higher education policy, and applied quantitative analysis. His doctoral research, “A Study on the Economic Efficiency of Small Tea Growers of Assam,” used SFA, DEA, and an extended Tobit model. He has also contributed to NEP-aligned academic reforms and focuses on inclusive growth and regional development. His research focuses on economic efficiency, agricultural and regional development, higher education reforms, and public policy. He has published numerous papers in reputed journals and edited volumes. He has also been actively involved in academic reforms aligned with the National Education Policy. Dr. Sarmah is dedicated to linking research with policy, with a focus on inclusive growth and regional development in Northeast India.

Mr. Hirupjit Hazarika Hazarika is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at Assam Women's University with over seven years of teaching experience. He holds M.Phil. degree from Dibrugarh University and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at Tripura University, Tripura, India. His academic interests span International Economics, Development Economics, and Agricultural Economics, with core specialization in Mathematical Economics and Econometrics. He has published several research papers in reputed Scopus-indexed and peer-reviewed journals, contributing to both theoretical and applied economic literature. His research primarily emphasizes empirical analysis and policy relevance, particularly in the areas of agriculture and global economic dynamics. In addition to his research contributions, he is actively engaged in mentoring students and regularly participates in seminars, workshops, and academic conferences.