Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is actively following up on the investment commitments made during the Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment and Infrastructure Summit held in Guwahati in February 2025. Recent reports indicate that the Chief Minister has been engaging with top industrialists in New Delhi, urging them to operationalize their pledges and contribute to Assam's economic growth.
In a recent meeting, Sarma met with Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Group, and discussed the progress of Vedanta's investment plans in Assam. Agarwal reaffirmed the group's commitment to Assam's growth and expressed keen interest in expanding its footprint in the state's hydrocarbon sector. Sarma also met with Anil Chadha, Managing Director of ITC Hotels, to explore potential investments in Assam's hospitality sector. Chadha conveyed ITC Hotels' strong interest in exploring expansion opportunities in the state.
The Advantage Assam 2.0 summit has generated substantial interest and secured investment commitments worth ₹5.18 lakh crore (approximately $62 billion USD) over the next five years. These investments span across various sectors, including power, hydrocarbons, hospitality, infrastructure, and more. Key players such as Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Adani Group, and Vedanta Resources Limited (VRL) have each pledged to invest ₹50,000 crore in diverse sectors, while Tata Power has proposed an investment of ₹30,000 crore.
The Assam government hopes to convert around 80% of the investment proposals made during the summit into reality in the coming years. In comparison, the first version of Advantage Assam held in 2018 attracted investment proposals of around ₹1.5 lakh crore, with approximately ₹70,000 crore materializing into actual investments.
To facilitate the realization of these investments, the government recognizes the importance of addressing challenges related to land allocation, incentives, and creating a conducive working environment for investors. The Chief Minister has stated that the government will thoroughly discuss the Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed and aims to provide employment opportunities for 2 lakh youths.
The state government is focused on creating a roadmap that tackles key challenges such as land allocation, ease of doing business, and incentive structures. The goal is to ensure that projects progress from the planning stages to tangible results, fostering job creation, infrastructure development, and long-term economic benefits for Assam.
With its strategic location and resources, Assam has the potential to become a manufacturing hub for various industries, including semiconductor chips, hydrocarbons, and green energy. The government's proactive approach in engaging with industrialists and addressing investment-related challenges signals its commitment to transforming Assam into a leading industrial hub in the Northeast and beyond.
