GUWAHATI: In a move to reach out to the industrialists and potential investors across the nation and outside and elicit maximum participation for the first ever global investors’ summit to be held in Guwahati during February next year, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal kick-started a roadshow of Advantage Assam: Global Investors’ Summit 2018 in Southern metropolis of Bengaluru on Tuesday.
The Bengaluru leg of the roadshow is a part of a sequel of activities that the state government has been taking to send across the message of business and investment friendly initiatives of the Government of Assam prior to the Global Investors’ Summit and ensure maximum response for the event.
As a part of the roadshow, Chief Minister Sonowal in a move to woo investors, presented the business landscape of Assam especially ‘ease of doing business’, ‘single window clearance system’, ‘skilled work force’ and state’s verdant natural resources before a galaxy of as many as 300 business leaders. Making a strong pitch for investment in Assam, Chief Minister Sonowal said, “Assam is fully geared up in its transformation as the new growth engine for making a New India”. He also said that inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet programme of Act East Policy which also regards North East as Astalaxmi, Assam had taken decision to hold Global Investors’ Summit to aware the prospective investors to come to Assam and discover its huge possibilities and prosperities.
He further added that as part of its development initiatives, Assam Government was putting great emphasis to revive the growth and investment cycle. He also added that consequent upon its persistent efforts, the government had succeeded in bringing 6.500 crore investment in the first one year of being in office.
Speaking about the start-up industries, Sonowal said, “Entrepreneurship is given a big boost in the state. New policies for supporting young entrepreneurs have been put in place. Skill development institutes and incubation centres for aspiring entrepreneurs in partnership with foreign nations are being set up”.
He also informed the business delegates that the State Government was committed to improve connectivity making an effort to expand the scope of UDAN scheme to make Guwahati the hub of trade and business for ASEAN countries. He also said that efforts are on to make the National Waterways 2 and 16 (Brahmaputra and Barak) more navigable as Assam shares 10 per cent of the country’s total navigable water. He also said that all efforts are also on to connect Assam to Chittagong port through waterways thereby expanding its business with Bangladesh. Sonowal also made an appeal to all the industry leaders to invest in Assam.
On the side-lines of the roadshow, Sonowal held one-to-one Government to Business (G2B) discussion with the industry captains from Biocon, TAFE India, Air Asia, TTK Prestige Limited, Toyota Kirloskar, Bharat Electronics Limited, Deccan Charters Private Limited, OLA Cabs (ANI Technology) Limited and many others.
The G2B meeting took place at a congenial environment where business leaders expressed their interest to expand their business footprints in Assam. Sectors like bio-technology, agriculture, Information and Technology, Tourism, Pharmaceutical, Aviation Industries are all set to get fillip as these sectors are likely to see investments. Moreover, Chief Executive Officer Air Asia Amar Abrol expressed his desire to make LGBI Airport its base for its operation with South East Asian countries. Sonowal also invited them to the Global Investors’ Summit which would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3rd February, 2018.