Surpassed MoU target, but real challenge begins now: CM on Advantage Assam 2.0

Guwahati, Feb 26: As the curtains fell on Advantage Assam 2.0, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had a bold claim to make—the state had signed more investment agreements than anticipated.

The target was set at ₹1 lakh crore, but as Sarma reviewed the numbers, he realised Assam had gone beyond expectations.

“We approved ₹1.22 lakh crore in the cabinet meeting, but we’ve signed even more MoUs than that,” he revealed, speaking to the press on the sidelines of the event on Wednesday, the concluding day of the two-day summit.

However, he was quick to add a word of caution. “We will only work with serious investors—those who are genuinely committed.”

The Chief Minister seemed optimistic about what lay ahead. The summit had attracted a significant number of investors, and Sarma believed that within the next one to two months, more proposals would emerge.

“Many investors arrived with a different perspective, but after attending the summit, their outlook may have shifted. We expect more investment commitments soon,” he said.

But not all proposals made the cut. Before the summit even began, the government had rejected MoUs worth ₹45,000 crore after rigorous screening. The message was clear—Assam was open for business, but only for those serious about investing.

“We scrutinised proposals before the event, and we will scrutinise them again. We will only work with genuine people,” Sarma stressed.

In the past two-days, the sectors that drew the most interest were oil and gas, mining, agriculture and veterinary sciences, green power, infrastructure, and even philanthropy.

The latter was particularly interesting, as Sarma pointed out. “A lot of proposals have come for philanthropic projects. These investors won’t be looking for profits but will work towards social welfare and humanity’s betterment,” he explained.

While the summit saw a wave of foreign interest, only Singapore and Japan sealed investment deals.

“We received proposals from multiple countries, including South Korea, but so far, only Singapore and Japan have finalised agreements,” Sarma noted.

Despite the celebratory mood, Sarma remained grounded for he knew that signing MoUs was just the first step—the real challenge was implementation. “Now, the real challenge begins. We have to turn these proposals into reality,” he said.

The state had also amassed over ₹1 lakh crore in infrastructure investment commitments, including:

• ₹7,000 crore from the Railways
• ₹4,000 crore from Inland Waterways projects
• ₹55,000 crore from National Highway projects
• ₹31,200 crore in ongoing infrastructure initiatives

“If we sum it all up, Assam has received infrastructure investment assurances worth nearly ₹1 lakh crore during this summit,” the Chief Minister said.

But numbers weren’t enough. When asked about the success of the summit, he acknowledged that Advantage Assam 2.0 had been a resounding success—but with a caveat.

“It’s 101% successful, but just having a successful summit isn’t enough. The real success will be measured by how much of this turns into reality,” Sarma concluded.