Signals from Dispur are sending a clear message. The Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has indicated that he means business now, literally. The second edition of investor summit dubbed as ‘Advantage Assam 2.0: Investment and Infrastructure Summit 2025,’ has been announced to be held in Guwahati on February 24 and 25, 2025. The announcement of the event was made by Dr. Sarma in a press meet in the city on November 24, exactly three months ahead of the summit.
Addressing the media, the Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the summit on February 24, 2025. He informed the media that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be invited for the valedictory session.
The first edition of Advantage Assam was held in Guwahati in 2018, which attracted over ₹1 lakh crore investment in different sectors related to the State’s economy.
“During the first edition of Advantage Assam, MoUs worth nearly ₹1 lakh crore were signed for investments in the State. Of this, some investments have already been made. But some initiatives could not be carried forward due to COVID pandemic. In the last four years, we did not organize any investment summit. Despite that, investments have poured in, and Assam has built an image at the national level as a good destination for investments. This was made possible because of the peaceful atmosphere, devoid of any agitations,” said the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister said that Advantage Assam 2.0 will be a pragmatic, theme-focused summit, steering clear of extravagance while concentrating on actionable outcomes.
“In the first edition, our focus was primarily on investment. This time the focus is on investment, with extra focus on infrastructure. Multiple sessions will be held on infrastructure. A session will be dedicated to the road sector with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. Another will be on the Railways in the presence of Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be present during a session on agriculture. Three more sessions on civil aviation, industrial parks, and the hydrocarbon industry have been planned,” Dr. Sarma informed the media.
He said that after the TATA group started working on the semiconductor unit at Jagiroad in Morigaon district, many industrial groups have shown interest in investing in the State in various sectors.
He said that three delegations will be sent to foreign countries to showcase the event and invite participation, with one team visiting Singapore and Japan and one each touring the US and UK. “Several roadshows have been planned at the international level. Of these three groups, one will visit Dubai also.”
The Chief Minister said that roadshows will also be conducted in six major Indian cities—Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata to engage with investors and raise awareness.
Dr. Sarma added that a team will also visit Bhutan ahead of the summit “Plenty of water flows into the State from the neighbouring country of Bhutan. Recently, we have successfully implemented several Jal Jeevan Mission schemes by utilizing this water. So, a group of delegates will go to Bhutan to discuss whether the water from the country can be used in irrigation systems in lower Assam and BTR,” added the Chief Minister.
On the other hand, the State Government also plans to organise a Mega Jhumoir Dance during the summit where nearly 7,500 dancers and artistes from the tea garden areas of the State will participate.
The Chief Minister said, “We had already planned a Jhumoir performance in Guwahati. We have now decided that the performance will be held during the two-day summit to enable national and international delegates to enjoy the State’s culture.
He added that each of State’s 800-odd tea gardens will be represented by women dancers and an equal number of men, making it a spectacle of unprecedented scale.
