GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stressed the urgent need for foreign embassies to withdraw travel advisories against the Northeast, stating that such warnings are a major roadblock to foreign investment in the state.
“You cannot have foreign investments without the withdrawal of travel advisories. Australia and Japan have taken steps (to remove travel advisories) following initiatives that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and I undertook. In the next three months, there will be a lot of queries from foreign embassies because we moved to everyone to withdraw the advisories,” Sarma said at a press conference in Guwahati.
The chief minister was addressing the media ahead of the February 25-26 Advantage Assam 2.0 business summit. He emphasised that it is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to create a positive environment for investment in the state.
He highlighted that despite Assam’s rich biodiversity and wildlife, the state has been losing out on foreign tourists to Gujarat and other states due to the negative perception created by these advisories.
Assam has recorded a 66 per cent reduction in crimes over the past three years, with no adverse incidents, Sarma said, underscoring the improved security situation in the region.
The summit will focus on key sectors, including tourism, renewable energy and hydrocarbons, aerospace and defence manufacturing, fragrance and flavours, electronics and semiconductors, mobility and logistics, bamboo and sustainable harvest, and food and beverages.
In recent months, Sarma has led delegations to South Korea, Japan, and Singapore, where he met ministers and industry leaders, conducting roadshows with over 100 industrial houses in each country.
Speaking about his visit to Bhutan, he said, “The reason I went to Bhutan was that it is trying to develop a Singapore–Gelephu Mindfulness City. Gelephu is just 8 km away from Assam. We requested Bhutan to set up a special economic zone in Assam since there is no scope for industrialisation in Gelephu.”
He also revealed that roadshows could not be held in the US due to the ongoing transition of power from Joe Biden to Donald Trump.
Before the international outreach, Assam had organised a roadshow in Mumbai, a bilateral chambers’ meet with representatives from 11 countries, an ambassadors’ roundtable with 31 participating nations, an investor roundtable with 40 leading industrialists, and roadshows in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.
Several central ministers, top Indian industrialists, foreign industry leaders, and ambassadors from various countries will attend the summit, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Synchronising with the 200 years of Assam Tea, the state government will also organise a Jhumoir dance ensemble in Guwahati on February 24. Over 8,000 Adivasi (tea tribe) dancers will perform in front of the prime minister.