In a significant boost to Assam’s economic growth, the state cabinet led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has approved Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for investments worth over ₹1.22 lakh crore. These approvals, announced after today’s cabinet meeting by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, are going to be formalized during the Advantage Assam 2.0 – Investment and Infrastructure Summit, scheduled for February 25-26, 2025, in Guwahati.
The summit is set to kick off with the approval of these ₹1.22 lakh crore investments by the state Cabinet, and the figures are expected to soar during the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit days.
In today's meeting of the #AssamCabinet, we approved
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 23, 2025
✅ Investment MOUs over ₹1.22 lakh crore for #AdvantageAssam2
✅ Textile and Apparel Policy Assam
✅ Flyover in Amolapatty, Dibrugarh
✅₹55cr for urban infra
✅Career Progression plan for medical professionals pic.twitter.com/6sxsvQtOtm
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the reporters that the Cabinet also rejected investment proposals worth about Rs 35,000-45,000 crore, as they were “casual kind of proposals”. “Whatever filmsy kind of proposal, we are not taking them for MoU. We will discuss this with them later. We don’t want to create unnecessary euphoria among people. We want to be very very rational and reasonable,” he said.
The Assam government decided to take all investment proposals to the Cabinet before inking the MoUs during the summit so that they could be properly scrutinised. “We had decided we won’t sign investment proposals before taking them to the Cabinet. We will closely scrutinise the proposals,” the CM said.
In addition to the major investments during the Advantage Assam 2 summit, around 2,600 MoUs will also be signed at the district levels for small investments – investments worth from as low as Rs 5 lakh to upwards of Rs 50 crore. CM Sarma said that about Rs 15,900 worth MoUs have been confirmed so far, and they are in addition to the Rs 1.22 lakh investments approved by the state Cabinet.
The decisions underscore Assam’s ambition to position itself as a leading investment destination in Northeast India and a key player in India’s Act East policy. The investments, spanning multiple sectors, are expected to drive industrial growth, create jobs, and enhance infrastructure, aligning with the state’s vision of becoming the “expressway to ASEAN” and the heart of India’s economic outreach to Southeast Asia.
These MoUs to be signed during the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit represent a major leap in attracting domestic and global investors to the state. The investments build on recent high-profile projects, such as the USD 3.3 billion Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility by Tata Group in Jagiroad.
The Advantage Assam 2.0 summit, to be held at the Veterinary Field, Khanapara, Guwahati, will serve as the platform for signing these MoUs. The summit will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday morning, along with participation from several Union ministers including S Jaishankar, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Piyush Goyal, Nirmala Sitharaman, Hardeep Puri, Sarbananda Sonowal, Pabitra Margherita, among others.
Heads of Mission and Ambassadors of over 60 countries will be attending the summit, apart from industry leaders like Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani, N Chandrasekaran, Sajjan Jindal, Prashant Ruia, Anil Agarwal, Anil Kumar Chalamalasetty and others.
High-level delegations from several countries — Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Bhutan, and industrialists from Japan – will also converge in Guwahati.
The Prime Minister will arrive in Guwahati on February 24 evening and witness the mega Jhumoir performance at Sarusajai Stadium. Over 8,600 artists from 800 tea gardens across the state will perform the traditional Jhumoir dance.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will lead a delegation The Union Ministerial Sessions at the Summit will feature Union Ministers leading discussions on critical sectors and topics such as “I-Way to Viksit Assam,” Act East policy, semiconductors, export promotion and others, highlighting Assam’s growth potential. They will share insights on national and regional economic strategies.
Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will conduct the “Act East, Act Fast and Act First” session with diplomats, and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will conduct the “I-Way to Viksit Assam” session. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will conduct a session on semiconductors and Railways.
Additionally, there will be 20 Thematic Sessions focusing on Healthcare, Green Gold Revolution, Tourism, Startups, and other transformative themes, fostering strategic collaborations.
The cabinet has also approved a comprehensive policy to boost the textile and apparel industry. Aimed at fostering a robust ecosystem for raw materials, manufacturing, and exports, the policy is expected to create thousands of jobs, while supporting the state’s traditional handloom and handicraft sectors.
An allocation of ₹55 crore has been sanctioned by the cabinet for augmenting urban infrastructure, including the construction of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. This initiative is part of a broader plan to improve connectivity, housing, and civic amenities, making urban areas more investor-friendly.
