Banikanta Kakati Research Institute was established in the year 2016, under Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University, with the objective of creating a space for research on area studies covering India’s North East and its neighbours from a wider perspective. The need to set up a research institute dedicated to area studies has been felt for a long time. India has been marching ahead with a mission to strengthen knowledge capital in all aspects of life. India’s North East is a sub-system of Indian Union, with wide range of varieties in anthropological, economic, political and social life, which mostly remain unexplored, and surrounded by four neighbouring countries, making the region strategically important. It is the endeavour of the institute to contribute substantially to the process of making sound policies on the region by offering reliable information. It is expected that the institute will be able to act as a catalyst for multifaceted knowledge related activities.