Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 25 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday termed the Advantage Assam 2.0 Summit as a landmark event in Assam's industrial journey and said that the summit will mark a new era of growth and opportunity.
"With the blessings and esteemed presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Advantage Assam 2.0 Summit will mark a new era of growth and opportunity. On this occasion, on behalf of the people of Assam, he extended his heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister. Celebrating 200 years of Assam Tea marks Assam's industrial legacy," Sarma said.
Referring to the state's history, Sarma said tea was the first major industry in Assam, discovered in 1823.
Stating the rich past of Assam's industrialization, the Chief Minister said that "The state has been a pioneer in India's oil industry and coal was discovered in Assam as early as in 1847, which further propelled Assam's industrial journey and laid the foundation for Assam's sustained economic growth."
He further said that at the time of India's independence, Assam was an economic front runner, enriched with tea, natural resources and hydrocarbon reserves with per capita income above the national average by 4 per cent.
"Today under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Assam has undergone a historic transformation. Prime Minister's commitment has propelled Assam into a new era of rapid development and renewed optimism. Since 2014, over 2,324 km of National Highways have been constructed," CM Sarma said.
He further mentioned that Indian Railways has completed gauge conversion of 600 km of meter gauge lines.
"Moreover, Assam is now a catalyst for India's aviation growth becoming the seventh busiest airports in India. State GDP is surging from 29 billion dollar in 2013-14 to 68.7 billion dollar in 2023-24, reflecting a growth of 12.4 per cent CAGR," the Assam Chief Minister said.
Assam CM requested all the industrialists, investors, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to discover Assam's vast investment potential across diverse sectors.
He reiterated that Assam is ready to be the investors' reliable partner, ensuring that their investment journey is rewarding and full of boundless opportunities.
Meanwhile, Chairman Tata Sons Natarajan Chandrasekaran, CMD Reliance Industries Mukesh Ambani, Chairman Adani Group Gautam Adani, Chairman Vedanta Groups Anil Agarwal, CMD JSW Groups Sajjan Jindal spoke on the occasion.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the two-day Advantage Assam 2.0: Investment and Infrastructure Summit in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, several union and state government ministers, a number of foreign envoys and a host of industry captains at Khanapara Veterinary College field in Guwahati.
Chairman Tata Sons Natarajan Chandrasekaran while underlining Assam's rise in the technology sector, especially with the ATMP facility being developed by Tata Electronics at Jagiroad complimented the favourable industrial ecosystem in Assam.
While highlighting future areas of collaboration with the Assam Government, he assured investment in sectors like green energy, and mobile manufacturing chips in Assam in the next 5 years.
Besides, the Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal assured investment of Rs 50000 crore, and JSW Group CMD Sajjan Jindal assured investments in sectors like renewable energy and thermal power in Assam.
The Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment and Infrastructure Summit 2025 aims to attract investments and boost economic development in the state. The event serves as a platform for businesses and investors to explore opportunities in Assam's rapidly growing industrial and infrastructure sectors.