Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sharma said in a recent interview that the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) highway will start in the next three years and it will directly connect Assam to Southeast Asia. Through this route, Assam will not only be able to export semiconductor chips made in India but will also attract investment for electronics factories. Sharma said that some points of tension in the Myanmar region are reducing, due to which the work of this highway will be completed soon. He described it as a big opportunity for Assam, which will open the way for the state’s export and investment.
Assam’s big bet with cheap land and big subsidy
Today, states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are ahead in electronics manufacturing in the country, but Assam is presenting itself as a cheap and greenfield investment destination. For this, the Assam government has prepared a subsidy package of Rs 25 thousand crore i.e. about $ 3 billion for semiconductor and electronics companies. Chief Minister Sharma made it clear that as soon as the central government approves, this money will be given to the companies within a week. Assam’s move is part of its larger vision to create a tech-based circular economy to boost both industry and employment in the state.
Tata plant is the starting point of semiconductor dreams
A major pillar of Assam’s semiconductor ambitions is the Tata Group’s chip testing plant coming up at Jagiroad near Guwahati. The plant has the capacity to make 48 million chips per day and is expected to drive industrial development in the entire region. In the long run, such projects will generate a lot of employment, leading to a new wave of industrialisation and development in Assam, chief minister Sharma told Mint. This year, Assam has already attracted investments of Rs 30,000 crore from the Tata Group and Rs 50,000 crore and Rs 75,000 crore respectively from the Adani and Ambani groups, across sectors such as AI, telecom, green energy and infrastructure.
Chief Minister busy meeting investors across the country
Chief Minister Sharma is currently on a visit to Delhi where he is meeting important people from the electronics and semiconductor sector. According to Mint’s report, Sharma will then hold similar meetings in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai to increase the interest of the industry and form strategic partnerships. The Chief Minister believes that the environment is now ready for investment in Assam and the face of the state can change rapidly in the coming years. With the opening of the IMT highway, Assam will be directly connected to the markets of South-East Asia, making it a major hub not only for Indian companies but also for foreign investors.
