National Conference on ‘Opportunities and Challenges for Petrochemicals’ held at CIPET Guwahati

A CORRESPONDENT

PALASBARI: The Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Guwahati, successfully organized a two-day National Conference on “Opportunities and Challenges for Petrochemicals and Allied Sector in the North Eastern Region” on December 18 and 19, with the support of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India.

Welcoming the dignitaries and participants, Dr Harekrishna Deka, Head of CIPET Guwahati, highlighted the objectives and significance of the conference in accelerating industrial growth in the North Eastern Region. He emphasized that the event aimed to identify opportunities, address challenges, and strengthen the petrochemical and allied industries in the region.

Dr Deka noted that the North East is rich in petrochemical resources and hosts major public sector undertakings such as Oil India Limited, ONGC, IOCL, BCPL, and GAIL, which have played a vital role in the development of the petrochemical industry. He also highlighted CIPET’s role as a pioneering institution in developing skilled manpower for plastics and allied industries, in addition to providing technical support in product design, mould manufacturing, plastics processing, testing, and quality assurance.

The conference served as a common platform for government departments, industry associations, industrialists, academic institutions, universities, emerging entrepreneurs, research scholars, and students. More than 120 participants from various sectors attended the event.

The inaugural session on the first day was attended by Deba Kumar Mishra, ACS, District Commissioner of Kamrup; Sazzad Alam, Additional Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, Government of Assam; S. N. Roy, AGM, NABARD; Rahul Sharma, Manager (Technical Services and Marketing), GAIL (India) Limited; Shouvik Chanda, Director and Head, BIS Guwahati; senior officials from the Industries and Commerce Department, Government of Assam; and representatives from NSDC, Assam Skill University, industry associations, research scholars, and students.

In his inaugural address, DC Deba Kumar Mishra appreciated CIPET for organizing the national-level conference in Kamrup district and stated that it would significantly benefit both industry and academia. He described CIPET as a potential torchbearer in promoting sustainability and capacity building among the youth of Assam.

Sazzad Alam also commended CIPET for hosting the timely conference and highlighted Assam’s vast potential in the petroleum and petrochemical sector, particularly in downstream plastics industries. He noted that industrial units such as NRL, BCPL, APL, and the upcoming semiconductor manufacturing unit would create new opportunities and further expand the plastics and allied sector in Assam and the North East.

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