- ₹3 Lakh Crore Worth of Projects Under Advantage Assam 2.0 Reach Implementation Stage: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Tinsukia (Assam), 29 October (HS): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday inaugurated a green Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) block manufacturing unit established by Lightbricks Private Limited, part of the KD Group of Industries, at Hapjan in Tinsukia district. The facility has been set up with an investment of around Rs. 55 crore following a memorandum of understanding signed during Advantage Assam 2.0.

The unit, considered one of the major private-sector manufacturing investments in Tinsukia district in the past 15 years, has an annual production capacity of two lakh cubic metres. It is expected to provide an alternative to approximately 10 crore conventional red bricks annually, helping conserve agricultural land.

The Chief Minister said the plant would use Asia's first technology featuring an inbuilt grid. The facility is expected to cater to construction-sector demand across Upper Assam and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.

The project is expected to generate direct employment for around 80 people and provide jobs to another 75 through contractors. More than 500 people, including suppliers, vendors and retailers, are also likely to benefit from indirect employment opportunities.

Sarma said Assam had received investment proposals worth ₹ 5.18 lakh crore during the Advantage Assam investment and infrastructure summit held in February 2023. Of these, projects worth approximately ₹3 lakh crore have advanced to the implementation stage.

He said investments worth ₹2.86 lakh crore in hydrocarbons and petrochemicals, ₹97,840 crore in the energy sector, Rs. 55,572 crore in infrastructure, ₹53,353 crore in mining, ₹44,948 crore in electronics and information technology, and Rs. 26,799 crore across various manufacturing sectors had progressed.

The Chief Minister also highlighted several major industrial projects underway in the state. The expansion of Numaligarh Refinery's capacity from three million metric tonnes to nine million metric tonnes is being undertaken at a cost of around ₹28,000 crore. Construction of a bamboo-based ethanol production plant is also progressing rapidly.

The Rs. 27,000-crore Tata semiconductor project at Jagiroad has reached its final stages of construction, while work on the fourth unit of the Namrup fertiliser plant, involving an investment of Rs. 10,600 crore, is progressing. Companies such as PepsiCo are also establishing manufacturing facilities in Assam.

Sarma said industrialisation was essential for generating employment on a large scale, strengthening the economy and accelerating the state's overall development. He emphasised that industrial growth was possible only with the wholehearted cooperation of local communities.

Referring to the semiconductor project at Jagiroad and the Rs. 50,000-crore thermal power project at Chapar, he said local support, a conducive industrial environment and effective law and order were crucial for attracting investments.

The Chief Minister said the state government had received several proposals for setting up new industries in Tinsukia and was examining them on priority. He appealed to local residents to extend their cooperation in developing the district into an industrial hub.

Labour Welfare Minister Rameswar Teli, MLAs Sanjay Kishan, Bolin Chetia, Pulak Gohain, Rupesh Gowala, Suren Phukan and Taranga Gogoi, and Lightbricks Private Limited Managing Director Dilip Goenka were among those present at the inauguration.

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash