‘From periphery to centre stage’: Himanta pitches Assam as investment hub at global business summit

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on September 18 pitched the state as an emerging investment and connectivity hub, inviting global businesses to explore opportunities across manufacturing, logistics, tourism, energy and emerging industries.

Addressing the second edition of the ICC Global Business Summit in New Delhi, Sarma said Assam’s strategic location, improving connectivity, infrastructure, skilled workforce and investor-friendly policies positioned it to play a larger role in India’s economic growth.

“The next phase of India’s growth will depend on bringing more regions and enterprises into international and global value chains. India’s next growth journey will emerge from the East and the Northeast. Our Prime Minister is calling this the time for Purvodaya,” Sarma said.

He highlighted Assam’s location at the crossroads of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, noting that the state shares international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh.

According to Sarma, sustained investment in connectivity and infrastructure has changed the economic significance of Assam’s geography.

“Assam’s geography from a perceived constraint into a strategic advantage and brought the state from the periphery to the centre stage of India’s development trajectory,” he said.

The chief minister said Assam’s nominal GSDP was estimated at Rs 7.45 lakh crore in 2025-26, with real growth of more than 10 per cent, and projected it to reach Rs 8.71 lakh crore in 2026-27. The industrial sector is estimated to contribute 35.64 per cent of the state’s GSDP at current prices in 2025-26.

Sarma also cited a Reserve Bank of India report that, according to him, recognised Assam as the fastest-growing economy in the country.

From connectivity to manufacturing

Sarma said Assam was developing a multimodal connectivity network integrating highways, railways, inland waterways, aviation and logistics infrastructure.

He pointed to the Multimodal Logistics Park at Jogighopa, expansion of the Pandu and Dhubri terminals and efforts to develop the Brahmaputra as a navigable economic corridor.

The state currently has seven operational airports, with further expansion underway. The new terminal at Guwahati airport has been designed to handle around 13 million passengers annually, he said.

“These investments are reducing the cost of distance and creating new possibilities for manufacturing, logistics, tourism, services and regional trade,” Sarma said.

The chief minister said Assam was focusing not only on securing investment commitments but also on converting them into projects on the ground.

During the Advantage Assam 2.0 – Infrastructure and Investment Summit, the state received investment commitments worth Rs 5.18 lakh crore, of which projects worth around Rs 3.5 lakh crore had been converted into investments on the ground within a year, Sarma said.

He added that some of these projects had already become operational.

Since May 2021, more than 3,700 new factories have been registered in Assam, representing around 1.11 lakh factory workers, he said.

Semiconductor ecosystem in focus

Sarma also highlighted advanced manufacturing, particularly the semiconductor sector, as a new component of Assam’s industrial growth.

Referring to Tata Group’s upcoming Rs 27,000 crore semiconductor unit in the state, he said Assam aimed to build a broader industrial ecosystem around the facility.

This would include packaging and testing equipment, precision components, industrial gases, clean-room services, maintenance, logistics, quality testing and specialised engineering services, he said.

He also identified opportunities in downstream industries linked to Assam’s existing oil, gas and petrochemical base, including fabrication, industrial equipment, speciality chemicals, petrochemical derivatives, bio-refining and low-carbon manufacturing.

The state is also preparing for the energy transition and targeting 6,000 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, Sarma said.

‘Young workforce is an advantage’

Sarma highlighted Assam’s young population, putting the median age at around 22 years, as a potential human-resource advantage for investors.

The state is strengthening its education and skills ecosystem through institutions in technology, engineering, management and vocational training, he said.

Assam is also seeking to improve the business environment through single-window clearances, sector-specific policies, industrial land banks and dedicated industrial infrastructure.

The single-window clearance system has facilitated more than 2.5 million approvals, Sarma said.

Inviting global investors to visit Assam and assess opportunities on the ground, the chief minister assured the business community of continued support from the state government.