Davos (Switzerland) [India], January 20 : As Assam made its debut at the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the ecosystem is gradually being developed in Assam and said Guwahati attracts the entire talent pool of the Northeast.
Speaking with ANI on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, CM Biswa Sarma said, "We are having a good meeting tomorrow on Semiconductor. Along with Tata, we are lining up. There is a lot of interest in Assam because with Tata being there, the ecosystem is gradually being developed. So tomorrow we are meeting leaders of the semiconductor industry. Although nothing specific is on the table, once we interact, I think things will move."
On the Tourism sector, he said, "We have a lot of investment offers for hotels, homestays, a lot of things are there already on the cart. In Davos, I am not signing any fresh MoU but going back to Guwahati, we have lined up a few MoUs for setting up 5-star hotels in Guwahati and Kaziranga."
CM Biswa Sarma noted that Assam is not separate from the rest of the Northeast and said that the geographical conditions of other states makes its difficult for industries to be set up there.
"We do not see Assam in isolation from the Northeast. Because when something happens in Assam, we are so interconnected that you cannot say that this is for Assam and this is not for the Northeast. When Tata sets up a semiconductor industry, it may be geographically in Assam, but it has to be for all the Northeastern states. Guwahati, being the gateway of the Northeastern states, attracts the entire talent pool of the region because all other states are hilly and there are certain difficulties in setting up certain kinds of industries... Assam provides that opportunity because we have a lot of land in the plain area. Assam provide that ecosystem to the youth of the entire Northeast. If I can bring one rupee to Assam, automatically that one rupee goes to Northeast..."
Earlier, Making a strong pitch to global investors at the World Economic Forum in Davos, CM Biswa Sarma urged them to invest in "emerging state and emerging economy."
Sarma said, "Assam is coming to the World Economic Forum Davos for the first time. We want to send a message that Assam is now an emerging state and an emerging economy. When you are thinking of investing in India, you can consider Assam as one of the destinations. Assam is now officially the fastest-growing state in the country."
Assam is at WEF Davos for the first time, aiming to signal that it is an emerging economy and a viable investment destination within India. The state is now the fastest-growing in the country, according to recent RBI data.