Guwahati: Ahead of the Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment and Infrastructure Summit, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma embarked on a three-day tour to Mumbai, India’s financial hub, to present the state’s burgeoning investment opportunities to top industry leaders.
Leading a high-powered delegation from the Assam government, Sarma met Tata Companies Chairman N Chandrasekaran on Saturday to discuss the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit and the vast investment potential the state offers to entrepreneurs and investors.
On Sunday, Sarma met HDFC Bank CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan to highlight Assam’s efforts to formalize its economy, particularly through the prioritization of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), which ensures government subsidies are directly transferred to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
In a series of interactions, the Chief Minister also engaged with senior representatives of Tata Group, including Tata Consumer CEO Sunil D’Souza, Tata Power CEO Praveer Sinha, Tata Electronics CEO Randhir Thakur, IHCL EVP Suma Venkatesh, Tata Sons Senior VP Sucharita Choudhury, and TSMG Principal Rajamayyoor Sharma.
“I had a productive meeting with CEOs from various Tata Group entities. We also invited them to participate in Advantage Assam 2.0, which I believe will serve as an excellent platform to deepen the long-standing partnership between Assam and Tata Group,” Sarma stated.
The visiting delegation included Assam Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Dr. KK Dwivedi, and Secretary to Industries, Commerce, and Public Enterprises Dr. Lakshman S.
During the visit, a roadshow promoting Advantage Assam 2.0 is also being conducted. The summit is scheduled to take place in Guwahati on February 25 and 26.
Sarma presented Assam as a key hub for investments in sectors such as infrastructure, green energy, tea, electronics, semiconductors, and skilling initiatives. The Chief Minister emphasized Assam’s impressive 19.1% Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth in the financial year 2024, inviting industry players to participate in the summit and invest in the state.
In addition to the Tata Group, Sarma met Aalok Shanghvi, Executive Director, and Rahul Awasthi, Global Head of Operations, from Sun Pharma. The discussions highlighted Assam’s remarkable economic growth and investment-friendly environment.
Sarma’s itinerary includes meetings with industrialists from conglomerates such as Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra Group, and Adani Airports. He is also set to engage with leaders from HUL, Luxmi Tea, Welspun Group, Tata Trusts, DMart, Piramal Group, and others to explore avenues for strategic investments.
The Chief Minister emphasized Assam’s pro-investment policies, strategic geographic location, and robust infrastructure as key factors making the state an attractive business destination. He also highlighted opportunities in sectors such as electronics and semiconductors, aerospace and defense manufacturing, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, food processing, hydrocarbons, and more.
Sarma’s visit underscores Assam’s emergence as a leading destination for investment and infrastructure development in India. The state government is hopeful that Advantage Assam 2.0 will foster partnerships and propel Assam toward a new era of economic growth and development.
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