Assam CM Sarma urges Vedanta, ITC to fast-track ₹5.18 trn investments

Business Standard

24-05-2025

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met top industrialists here and sought fulfilment of their commitments made at an investment summit held in Guwahati in February.
The chief minister met Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal here on Friday evening and asked him to operationalise the group's investment commitment made during the Advantage Assam 2.0 investment summit, an official release said.
Agarwal said the group is wholly committed to Assam's growth journey and is keen to expand its footprint in the state's hydrocarbon sector.
Later, Sarma took to 'X' and wrote, "Today in New Delhi, I met the very enterprising Chairman of Vedanta Group Shri Anil Agarwal Ji".
"We spoke on operationalising the group's investment commitment made during AdvantageAssam2. Vedanta is keen to expand its footprint in the state's hydrocarbon sector," he said.
The chief minister also met the Managing Director of ITC Hotels, Anil Chadha, and discussed with him the potential of investment in the hospitality sector.
Chadha told the chief minister that his group is very keen on exploring opportunities in the hospitality sector in Assam, the release said.
Informing about the development, Sarma's officer wrote in 'X', "Shri Anil Chadha, MD, ITC Hotels called upon CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi today. They discussed the potential of investments in Assam's hospitality sector as Chadha expressed keen interest in exploring opportunities for expansion in the state." The Advantage Assam 2.0 has secured investment commitments worth Rs 5.18 lakh crore over the next five years.
The chief minister, who is closely monitoring the investment commitments made by different companies during the Advantage Assam 2.0, will hold one-on-one meetings with the industry honchos in the national capital on May 26.
"The Hon'ble Chief Minister has started individual discussions with the companies about how to go about realising the investment on the ground, what kind of incentives they might need, the land they would need. We will prepare the preparatory roadmap over the next six months," a senior official privy to the development said.
"If even a significant portion of the pledged investments materialises, Assam could emerge as a leading industrial hub in the Northeast and beyond," the official said.
Therefore, the focus now shifts to implementation and execution, ensuring that these investments translate into job creation, infrastructure development, and long-term economic benefits for the state.
To achieve this goal, the government of Assam plans to carefully analyse investment proposals in the current financial year and work toward a comprehensive roadmap within the next six months.
"The roadmap will focus on addressing key challenges such as land allocation, ease of doing business, and incentive structures to ensure that projects move from paper to reality," the official added.