How one Assamese youth put the state on India's rail map

In a region where entrepreneurship often battles infrastructural limitations, Kanak Deka, a young businessman from Kamalpur in Kamrup district, Assam, has rewritten the rulebook. His journey from a small-town youth to the architect of Northeast India’s first private rail corridor reads like a milestone moment in the region’s industrial transformation.

What began as an ambitious dream culminated in the purchase of two full-fledged trains—a move that stunned industry watchers and signaled a new chapter in Assam’s logistics landscape. Today, the railway station he built for his private industrial zone is officially mapped on the Indian Railways network, a rare achievement for any individual entrepreneur in the country.

Developed under the Prime Minister Gati Shakti Scheme, the project spans 300 bighas, transforming the once-quiet expanse into a fast-emerging logistics and manufacturing hub. Scheduled for inauguration by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the corridor is poised to generate nearly 1,000 jobs, injecting new vitality into the local economy.

Behind the venture lies an investment of Rs 245 crore, along with a larger ₹500-crore commitment formalized under Advantage Assam 2. The facility has already attracted the attention of leading multinational giants—including Tata, Mahindra, Sonalika, and Hindustan Unilever—who are set to leverage its logistics services.

For Assam, the project represents more than infrastructure; it is a statement of possibility. And for Kanak Deka, it is the unfolding of a dream that positions him as one of the most compelling young industrial voices from the Northeast.