North-East India refers to the easternmost region of India consisting of the contiguous Seven Sister States, Sikkim, and parts of North Bengal(districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Koch Bihar). North-East India is ethnically, linguistically and culturally very distinct from the other states of India. This region is officially recognized as a special category of states. The North East Council (NEC) was constituted in 1971 as the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the eight states, the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) was incorporated on August 9, 1995 and the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DONER) was set up in September 2001.

Of these, Sikkim became an Indian protectorate in 1947 and a full state in 1975. The states border Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar andBangladesh. However they share only a 21 km common border with the rest of India via the Siliguri Corridor (Chicken's Neck).