Guwahati: Making a strong pitch to attract foreign investments to the state, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said the recent decision to relax FDI norms in retail will help India emerge as an economic power.
“If India has to emerge as an economic power, then it must allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail sector in a big way,” Gogoi said at the Chatham House conference on ‘India: Regionalisation, Reform and Investment’ in London.
According to an official release, the Chief Minister also appealed to foreign investors to put money in various sectors in the state.
“The state has oil, gas, coal, limestone and other natural resources, besides the availability of abundant surface as well as ground water… With these potentials and developments, I can tell you with confidence that Assam is soon going to emerge as a major investment destination in India,” he said.
The landlocked North Eastern region has now received attention as India’s land bridge to East and South East Asia as part of the country’s ‘Look East Policy’, he added.
Talking about the country’s importance in the world scenario, Gogoi said: “India has always managed to capture the world’s imagination and many institutions are curious to learn about the Indian growth prospect in the context of economic reforms, regionalised politics, impending election and new areas for investment.”
Mentioning the diversity and vibrancy of the Indian society, he said India was once a very wealthy, prosperous and advanced country in the world in almost every field such as science, education, astronomy and spirituality.
On regionalisation, Gogoi said: “Over the years regionalism and regionalisation have come to symbolise aspiration for decentralised planning and development … India is a mature democracy and fully capable of balancing regional needs and aspirations with the overall national goals.” (PTI)