Assam gets investment proposals of nearly Rs 70000 crore — CM

Guwahati, Feb. 4 (PTI): The first-ever global investors summit in Assam has seen investment commitments to the tune of nearly Rs 70,000 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.
Nearly 200 initial pacts worth nearly Rs 70,000 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 investment in the state, another oil PSU Oil India Ltd. pledged an investment of Rs 10,000 crore.
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd planning to invest Rs 3,432 crore and Rs 3,410 crore, respectively.
Among private players, RIL chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani has announced an investment of Rs 2,500 crore in Assam in various sectors, including retail, petroleum, telecom, tourism and sports, creating jobs for at least 80,000 people over the next three years.
The Tata Trusts will invest Rs 2,000 crore to implement a cancer care programme jointly with the Assam government in 17 centres across 15 districts of the state from next year, the project 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 Assam through seaplanes to boost the tourism sector besides connecting 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, the Medanta Group proposed Rs 500 crore investment in the healthcare sector and Dalmia Bharat Cement announced an investment to 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 of the government, saw an investment proposal to the tune of Rs 736 crore and infrastructure sector saw a total investment proposal worth Rs 2,347 crore.
Other major companies announcing investments in Assam are BPCL (Rs 350 crore), Essel Infraprojects (Rs 6,000 crore), Star Cement (Rs 2,100 crore), Infinity Infotech Parks (Rs 1,000 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 summit aimed at highlighting Assam’s geostrategic advantages and core competencies in different sectors along with the policy initiatives taken by the state government.