The first-ever global investors summit in Assam has seen investment commitments to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore in various sectors, including petroleum, telecom, health and tourism, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said today. "It is a very good beginning. The response of the investors are very exciting and encouraging.
I believe the investment commitments will make Assam a better economy," Sonowal told PTI here. Over 200 initial pacts worth Rs1 lakh crore were signed at the Advantage Assam summit, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the two-day event yesterday. Bhutanese PM Tshering Tobgay, several Union ministers,chief ministers of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, ambassadors and high commissioners of 16 countries, RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekharan attended the meet. The chief minister said oil major ONGC committed Rs 13,000 crore investmentin the state, another oil PSU Oil India Ltd. pledgedan investment of Rs 10,000 crore. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd planning toinvest Rs 3,432 crore and Rs 3,410 crore, respectively. Among private players, RIL chairman and MD Mukesh Ambanihas announced an investment of Rs 2,500 crore in Assam in varioussectors, including retail, petroleum, telecom, tourism andsports, creating jobs for at least 80,000 people over the nextthree years. TheTata Trusts will invest Rs 2,000 crore to implement acancer care programme jointly with the Assam government in 17 centres across 15 districts of the state from next year, theproject will see an investment of around Rs 2,000 crore. Indo-UK Institute of Health will be investing Rs 2,700 crore, while Century Ply has shared plans of investing Rs 2,100 crore. Spicejet chief Ajay Singh has announced the plans of Rs 1,250 crore investment in Assamthrough seaplanes to boost the tourism sector besidesconnecting Lakhimpur and Jorhat under the recently launched central government scheme 'Udaan'. Infinity Group will be investing Rs 1,000 crore in an IT park and real estate project in Guwahati, theMedanta Group proposed Rs 500 crore investment in the healthcaresector and Dalmia Bharat Cement announced an investmentto the tune of Rs 1,100 crore. Sonowal said the investments will provide ample employment opportunities to the youth of the state. "We hope that Assam will be the gateway for India to connect ASEAN countries," he said. Media advisor to the chief minister, Hrishikesh Goswami, said tourism, which is one of the key focus areas ofthe government, saw an investment proposal to the tune ofRs 736 crore and infrastructure sectorsaw a total investment proposal worth Rs2,347 crore. Other major companies announcing investments in Assam areBPCL (Rs 350 crore), Essel Infraprojects (Rs 6,000 crore), Star Cement (Rs 2,100 crore), Infinity Infotech Parks (Rs1,000 crore) and Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India (Rs 400 crore). The Assam government has identified 12 focus sectors for the summit, including agriculture and food processing, handloom-textile-handicrafts, logistics, river transport-port township, IT-ITeS, pharmaceutical-medical equipment, plastics-petrochemicals and power. Assam has hosted its first global investors summit to showcase its manufacturing opportunities and geostrategic advantages to foreign and domestic investors. The summitaimed at highlighting Assam's geostrategic advantages and core competencies in different sectors along with the policy initiatives taken by the state government.
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