Investment summit showcased Assam's business potential, claims CM Sonowal

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has said the Advantage Assam: Global Investors’ Summit has established the state in the global arena after the Congress called it a drain on the exchequer.

“Investors across the globe came to know about Assam’s investment potential through this summit,” Sonowal said about his government's signature event at the launch of a unit of Britannia industries on Monday.

The Opposition Congress has challenged the BJP-led government to come out with a status paper mentioning the investment that has come to the state in the last two years and on the number of jobs created in the state.


He said Prime minister Narendra Modi suggested that Assam should organise such an event to attract investors and had promised to inaugurate it and get the support of the Union ministers in a big way.

During the summit held in February a total of 264 MoUs worth Rs. 78,208 crore were inked and investment commitments worth Rs. 19,950 crore made.

Sonowal argued that investments have started coming. While Britannia Industries has invested Rs 200 Crore, Kishore Biyani-led Future Group is planning to set up a food park and flour mill in Assam. The group has announced it will ramp up its retail presence across the Northeast India and has already set up a couple of malls in the state.

He added, “Tata Trust has started investing close to Rs 1000 Crore in setting up 19 cancer hospitals in the state.”

Industry minister Chandra Mohan Patwary said a Kolkata-based group is planning two jute mills in Assam.

“We are trying and will start international flight to some South East Asian countries from Guwahati by October this year,” he said