Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 7 : Giving new wings to the vision of an Atmanirbhar Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday ceremonially distributed the first tranche of financial assistance under CM-AAA 2.0 to 5,572 young entrepreneurs from Kamrup and Kamrup (M) districts at a programme held at Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir in Guwahati.
Under the Chief Minister's Atmanirbhar Assam Abhiyan 2.0, the state will cover 74,036 prospective entrepreneurs. The State government will release more than Rs 1,482 crore for this initiative. Under the scheme, beneficiaries in the general category will receive Rs 2 lakh each, while those in the professional category, including engineers, MBBS, BDS, and other professionally trained candidates, will receive Rs 5 lakh each.
Through today's programme, the government disbursed the first instalment to a total of 5,572 beneficiaries from Kamrup and Kamrup Metropolitan districts. This includes 3,710 beneficiaries from Kamrup district and 1,862 from Kamrup Metropolitan district. Of these, 35 beneficiaries fall under the professional category and 5,537 under the general category.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma urged the state's youth to harness their strengths positively, establish themselves, and emerge as role models in society.
He said that every young man and woman in Assam has inner strength, and described the age range 25 to 35 as the most formidable phase of life.
He moreover said that how a person uses this strength during this golden period of life shapes their future. The Chief Minister, on the occasion, called upon the youth to use the energy of this most valuable phase of life to build their future.
He said earlier that the state's youth were focused on movements and similar activities. However, over the past few years, a positive environment has emerged in the state. Sarma said that, due to this positive environment, MSME registrations on the Udyam portal have increased nearly 30 times, from 9,371 in 2020 to 2.85 lakh in 2024. At present, more than 12.7 lakh MSMEs have registered on the Udyam portal in the state, creating over 82 lakh jobs.
He further stated that, despite being a small state, Assam has disbursed more than Rs 30,773 crore in loans to small entrepreneurs as of March 2025. During his four-year tenure as Chief Minister, banks extended nearly Rs 1 lakh crore in loans to MSMEs.
He informed that under the Assam Credit Guarantee scheme, around 76,000 MSMEs received loans worth Rs 6,436 crore in 2024 to 25.
He also said that under the Chief Minister's Atmanirbhar Assam Abhiyan 1.0, financial assistance was provided to 25,277 entrepreneurs in the state.
The Chief Minister said that in the second phase of the campaign, beneficiaries receiving financial assistance today will be given a three-day training programme to help them establish themselves effectively in their respective entrepreneurial fields. After completing the training, they will receive the next instalment of financial support. To ensure the successful implementation of the scheme, 'CM Fellows' have been appointed across all assembly constituencies.
He said these fellows will maintain direct contact with entrepreneurs, understand their businesses, and provide all necessary support to help them succeed in their ventures.
He moreover said that the results of the first phase of the campaign were very positive, and the State government, showing deep trust in the youth, has arranged financial support to help them become self-reliant.
Sarma also said that the government received more than one lakh applications for Atmanirbhar Assam Abhiyan 2.0, and expressed confidence that at least five lakh applications would be received in the next phase.
Chief Minister Sarma said, "We have set a target to support a total of 10 lakh young men and women through this campaign by assisting two lakh beneficiaries every year over the next five years."
He observed that a section of people is trying to create the impression that Assam's youth do not work. To change this perception, he urged the youth who received financial assistance to make sincere efforts to succeed in their respective fields and help build a strong work culture in the state.
Chief Minister Sarma said, "A nation does not survive on slogans alone. We must all resolve to protect our identity through hard work."
He further stated that continuous growth in entrepreneurship will create many job opportunities across various sectors of the state. He, for example, said that the proposed large thermal power plant in Dhubri will require approximately 500 trucks to regularly transport coal from rail wagons. Similarly, once the fourth unit of the Namrup fertiliser plant becomes operational, a large number of vehicles will be needed to transport employees. Similarly, when the semiconductor unit at Jagiroad becomes operational, many shops and services will need to be established near the facility to serve its workforce.
He also said that the government plans to extend support to such people in the future through the Chief Minister's Atmanirbhar Assam Abhiyan.
He noted that, in addition to government jobs, the state's youth must focus on entrepreneurship to strengthen themselves and the state's economy.
Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management, Keshab Mahanta, Ministerof Cooperation etc Jogen Mohan, Minister of Industries, Commerce and Public Enterprises, Bimal Bora, Member of Parliament Bijuli Kalita Medhi, MLAs Atul Bora, Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Siddhartha Bhattacharyya, Bhabesh Kalita, Diganta Kalita, Suman Haripriya, Hemanga Thakuria, Mayor Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Mrigen Sarania.Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, Additional Chief Secretary J B Ekka, and several other dignitaries and senior officials were present on the occasion.