Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the state will set up a Centre of Excellence in collaboration with the World Economic Forum as part of a long-term partnership aimed at leveraging global platforms for Assam’s development.
Sharing details of his meeting with the WEF leadership on social media, Sarma said the proposed Centre of Excellence would focus on themes of national and state importance.
“We have decided to set up a Centre of Excellence in Assam in collaboration with the World Economic Forum on a theme of both national and state importance,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the partnership would allow Assam to benefit from WEF’s major platforms, including its annual summits in Davos and other global forums.
In another post, Sarma said he held a meeting with senior executives of PepsiCo, including CEO Eugene Willemsen and Vice President Caroline Berson, to discuss support for farmers and the company’s expansion plans in the state.
He said the government is working on a mechanism to ensure institutional credit for potato farmers through a tripartite agreement.
“I conveyed our plan to ensure assured institutional credit to our potato farmers through an exclusive tripartite agreement between SBI, PepsiCo and the Government of Assam,” he added.
The Chief Minister also said discussions also covered the progress of PepsiCo’s Nalbari plant and ways to strengthen the company’s engagement with Assam’s farming community.
"We also discussed the company’s expansion plans in Assam, reviewed progress of their Nalbari plant and how they could work even more closely with our farming community," the Chief Minister said.
He added that the state government is keen to deepen partnerships that support farmers while encouraging industrial growth in Assam.