Take advantage of business environment: Sonowal

NSE Investor Fair 2018

GUWAHATI, April 7: “Assam has a unique advantage of being situated at a strategic geographic location making it an ideal destition for operating business in the entire South East Asian region. Our government is committed to encourage entrepreneurs for venturing out into this huge market of ASEAN countries and bringing economic transformation in this part of the country,” said Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal on Saturday while delivering the key note address in the iugural programme of NSE Investor Fair 2018. The fair was organized by tiol Stock Exchange at a city hotel.

Saying that Prime Minister rendra Modi has put Assam and the Northeast at the heart of his Act East Policy initiatives which has resulted in rapid economic development of the region, the Chief Minister stated that Advantage Assam: Global Investors’ Summit has boosted the State’s image as a major investment destition at the world stage and lots of investors have evinced keen interest in setting up their businesses here. NSE Investor Fair would also give exposure to the small medium enterprises (SMEs) in the State to gain insight about the capital market and provide them a road map to take confident steps towards growth, he added.      

Highlighting the State government’s efforts to provide momentum to the economic activities in different sectors, Sonowal said that formulating policies such as The Assam Start Up Policy 2017, Information Technology and Electronic Policy 2017, Handloom Policy 2017-18, Sugar Policy 2018, Biotechnology Policy 2018, Tourism Policy 2017, Solar Policy 2018 etc., would help in transforming Assam into a competitive destition for investments. The State government is striving towards creating a pool of skilled manpower which would open up avenues of employment and contribute substantially to the country’s skilled workforce, he informed.

Urging the investors to cash in on the business friendly atmosphere in the State, Sonowal highlighted the major infrastructural transformation initiatives undertaken by the State government in the form of expanding Guwahati into State Capital Region, building an industrial corridor up to Tihu, construction of twin tower World Trade Centre buildings of 65 floors etc., which would catapult Assam into one of the top states of the country in the coming years. The recent approval of the Central Government to North-East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS) 2017 would also provide a lot of incentives to the business houses for investing in the Northeast, he said.      

MD and CEO of tiol Stock Exchange Vikram Limaye also spoke on the occasion and outlined the objectives of the Investor Fair to encourage the SMEs of the region to venture out and get listed in tiol Stock Exchange for drawing funds from equity market to expand their business. 

Chairman of Assam Chamber of Commerce Rupam Goswami also spoke in the programme.