GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said Assam’s contribution to India’s growth is steadily increasing, highlighting that the state’s economy has doubled in just six years under BJP.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Advantage Assam 2.0 business summit in Guwahati, Modi said East India and Northeast India are embarking on a new journey of the future and Advantage Assam is a mega initiative to intertwine the incredible potential and progress of Assam with the world.
The PM said the large gathering in Guwahati was a manifestation of growing global trust in India. He noted that Assam’s economy was valued at Rs 2.75 lakh crore during the first edition of the Advantage Assam summit held in 2018 and today, it has increased to around Rs 6 lakh crore.
The PM said before 2014, there were only three bridges over the river Brahmaputra, built over 70 years. However, four new bridges have been constructed in the past 10 years. Between 2009 and 2014, he continued, Assam received an average rail budget of Rs 2,100 crore but the NDA government at the centre increased it to Rs 10,000 crore.
Touching upon the rapid expansion of air connectivity in Assam, the PM said until 2014, flights operated on only seven routes, but now there are flights on nearly 30 routes. He said over 50 per cent of India’s on-shore natural gas production comes from Assam and there has been a significant increase in the capacity of the state’s refineries in recent years.
He said Assam is rapidly emerging in sectors such as electronics, semiconductors and green energy, emphasising that the state is becoming a hub for high-tech industries as well as startups.
“The day is not far when Assam will become a major manufacturing hub in eastern India,” Modi said, adding that the Centre is fully supporting the state government in achieving this goal.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the summit as a landmark event in Assam’s industrial journey. He was confident that with Modi’s blessings and presence, the summit would mark a new era of growth and opportunity.
He said the celebration of 200 years of Assam Tea marked the state’s industrial legacy. Referring to its history, he said tea was the first major industry of Assam, discovered in 1823.
Sarma also said that Assam has been a pioneer in India’s oil industry, and coal was discovered here as early as in 1847, which further propelled the industrial journey and laid the foundation for sustained economic growth.
“At the time of India’s independence, Assam was an economic frontrunner, enriched with tea, natural resources and hydrocarbon reserves with per capita income above the national average by 4 per cent,” he said.
Chairman of Tata Sons Natarajan Chandrasekaran, CMD of Reliance Industries Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Adani Group Gautam Adani, chairman of Vedanta Groups Anil Agarwal and CMD of JSW Groups Sajjan Jindal also spoke.
Several Union ministers including S Jaishankar and the heads of mission and ambassadors of over 60 countries were among dignitaries present.
