Advantage Assam 2.0, wherein the Government has set specific goals in terms of the sector/s they want investment in and the companies they are keen to attract is a break from the general idea which such gatherings are used to. Most summits try to attract all kinds of industries as possible to shore up numbers of companies and MoUs.
Assam has played the smart game by undertaking a focused approach. It is another matter that the future alone will decide how this has worked in the State’s favour. Let us not forget that Advantage Assam 2.0 is being held after our Eastern neighbours West Bengal and Orissa had their summits to attract investors, both Indians and overseas. This is over and above initiatives undertaken by other States round-the-year.
In the last few years, ever since Vibrant Gujarat gave States in India ways and means of attracting investors, there are too many of such summits and States chasing the same type of investors. However, the efforts undertaken by Assam Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues through roadshows, and one-to-one meetings are praiseworthy. They themselves will not result in investors making a bee-line for the State, but a dedicated approach cutting down on red tape will send the right signals to those who are serious about the State and the region.
