GUWAHATI: As the mega business summit Advantage Assam 2.0 unfolded on Tuesday, the chairman of mining major Vedanta Group Anil Agarwal gave credit to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for getting investment across sectors.
“The Assam Chief Minister is going all around. He is going into technology, semiconductor, renewable energy, oil and gas and refineries. It looks like this is the time of Assam,” Agarwal told media persons on the sidelines of the summit.
He termed the business eco-system in the Northeast as “beautiful”. He noted the support the government and the local people are extending.
To a query, he said, “I understand this business. We are the only producer of oil and gas in private sector in India. It’s a very risky business but we have decided that we will go ahead.”
“Once you start producing oil, then downstream, a lot of entrepreneurs can set up industries. We are fully committed. I believe that in today’s time, Assam has a very nice basin which can have a lot of exploration drives…We can produce oil on our own. Assam can do it.”
Speaking at the summit, he reinforced his company’s commitment toward Assam’s progress. He highlighted Assam’s strategic location, pro-investment policies and expanding infrastructure, as key factors to fuel India’s growth.
Calling Assam an attractive investment destination, he expressed his company’s commitment to play a pivotal role in the state’s long-term, sustainable growth. “Assam is abundant in natural resources and has the potential to become the world’s mega basin. We are poised to play a pivotal role in Assam’s sustainable growth and development,"Agarwal added.
"With an investment exceeding Rs 50,000 crore, we will produce 100,000 barrels of oil and gas per day from Assam – making it a dominant hydrocarbon hub, while creating direct and indirect employment opportunities for 1 lakh youth,” he added.