Guwahati, 18 September (HS): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday invited the global business community to explore investment opportunities in the state, highlighting its strategic location, improving connectivity, expanding infrastructure, skilled workforce and investor-friendly policies.

Addressing the second edition of the ICC Global Business Summit in New Delhi, Sarma said India’s next phase of growth would increasingly emerge from the eastern and northeastern regions. He described Assam as strategically located at the crossroads of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, with international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh, making it a natural gateway to the ASEAN region.

The Chief Minister said improved connectivity and infrastructure had transformed Assam’s geographical position into a strategic advantage. He highlighted multimodal connectivity through highways, railways, inland waterways, aviation and logistics infrastructure, including the Jogighopa Multimodal Logistics Park and expansion of the Pandu and Dhubri terminals.

Sarma said Assam’s nominal GSDP was estimated at ₹7.45 lakh crore in 2025-26, with real growth of more than 10%, and was projected to reach ₹8.71 lakh crore in 2026-27. The industrial sector is estimated to account for 35.64% of the state’s GSDP at current prices in 2025-26.

Referring to Advantage Assam 2.0, he said the state had received investment commitments worth ₹5.18 lakh crore, of which projects worth around ₹3.5 lakh crore had been converted into investments on the ground within a year. He added that more than 3,700 new factories had been registered in Assam since May 2021.

The Chief Minister also highlighted Tata Electronics’ ₹27,000-crore semiconductor assembly and test facility, expected to be commissioned in December this year. The facility is projected to produce up to 48 million chips a day and generate more than 27,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

He said Assam was also targeting 6,000 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, while exploring opportunities in green hydrogen and bamboo-based second-generation ethanol.

Sarma highlighted opportunities in healthcare, tourism, agriculture, tea, petrochemicals and advanced manufacturing. He said Assam’s young population, with a median age of around 22 years, along with institutions such as IIT Guwahati, NIT Silchar and Assam Skill University, offered a strong human-resource base.

Inviting investors to visit Assam, Sarma assured the business community of round-the-clock support from the state government. He said the government was committed to converting investment commitments into projects, strengthening supply chains and creating an ecosystem for employment, innovation and industrial growth.

“As India deepens its engagement with South Asia, Assam is ready to contribute as an important gateway to the East,” Sarma said, adding that the state could serve as a platform for deeper economic engagement between the Northeast, the rest of India and the wider ASEAN region.--------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash