THE Bhut Jolokia or "Ghost Chilli" from India's mountainous North Eastern Region (NER), favoured and feared as one of the hottest chillies in the world, has growing international markets which could get even bigger with proper marketing and branding.

A new World Bank study released on Dec 13 recommends that the NER could consider launching a "Brand North East", playing up its unique elements such as healthy living, environmental sustainability, social responsibility and service orientation.

These elements stem from the NER's strengths: First, its "agroclimatic diversity" reflected in the environment-friendly production of a variety of horticultural products. Second, the high participation rate of the region's women in the workforce "can feed into a narrative of socially responsible production". Third, the region's clean air, rich biodiversity, and unique cultural assets, and finally its service orientation seen in the large presence of NER people in the hospitality and nursing industries across India, and in their soft skills.