Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on said it was time for India to look towards its north-east as an area of exceptional strength and prospects. "When the people think of the North-East, they have so far tended to think only of its problems. We should now change that perspective. We should start thinking of the North-East's unique strengths and opportunities," he said, inaugurating the second North-East Business Summit. Mr Vajpayee said commercial exchanges between India and South Asia can be conducted through these states. "Our north-east states can become our economic bridgehead to South East Asia.