Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma (Photo: PTI)
Guwahati, Feb 18: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged leading industrialists and financiers in Mumbai to invest in diverse sectors in the state and assured them of total cooperation from the government in this regard.
He held separate meetings with industry leaders at a roundtable organised by FICCI as well as with Tata Group and SRCC Children's Hospital, among others, winding up his three-day visit to the financial capital of the country on Friday.
"As part of our initiatives to attract private investments into the state, took part in a roundtable of @ficci_india at Mumbai today, which was attended by country's several leading industrialists," Sarma Tweeted after an interaction on Thursday.
"Urged them to take advantage of customisable industrial policy & invest in Assam," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Sarma interacted with Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran and other top office bearers of Tata Sons, Tata Consumers, TCS, Tata Technologies, Indian Hotel and Tata Motors at Bombay House, Mumbai, an official release said here.
The chief minister urged Tata Group to come forward for investment in Assam, especially in health, education, green and renewable energy, tourism and hospitality sector.
He assured that the state government will provide all necessary support, including certain policy changes and capital subsidy, to make the state a preferred investment destination of the country.
Sarma also held a meeting with Tata Trusts' Vice-Chairman Vijay Singh, CEO Srinath Narasimhan and Board of Trustees and reviewed the progress of construction works of State Cancer Institutes under Assam Cancer Care Foundation.
Out of 17 Cancer Institutes, seven are targeted to be inaugurated in April, 2022.
The Assam government and Tata Trust are collaborating for setting up Cancer Care Units in the state, with the foundation for the project laid in June 2018.
Tata Trusts had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Assam government during the Advantage Assam - Global Investment Summit 2018, held in February that year, giving a formal shape to the project.
In the meeting, Sarma urged Tata Trusts to engage a team to study the basic requirements for establishment of a proposed South Asian Cancer Institute in Assam.
The chief minister also met Subramanian Ramadorai, former Vice-Chairman of Tata Consultancy Services and Chairman, Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Guwahati.
He discussed several issues with Ramadorai related to TCS, TISS, IIIT-G, etc. To bring more excellence in Assam's education sector adopting new ideas and technology.
Sarma also had a discussion with SRCC Children's Hospital Facility Director Rupesh R Choubey regarding strengthening paediatric healthcare facilities in Assam.
He invited the hospital to work together in functioning of new Super Speciality Hospital in Guwahati, especially in Paediatric Neurology and Paediatric Cardiac Surgery sector.
The chief minister directed the MD, National Health Mission, Assam, to draft an MoU in this regard.
Sarma met Anita Rajan, Chief Executive Officer of Tata STRIVE, a skill development initiative of Tata Trusts at Taj Chambers, Mumbai.
He sought cooperation of Tata STRIVE for Project Arohan, a four years mentorship programme of the Government of Assam for meritorious students.
Apart from some other suggestions, Sarma urged the CEO to add the component of soft skills development for students in Project Arohan.
He also held a meeting with Dr Shalini Bharat, Director of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) at the same venue and discussed several issues pertaining to strengthening the infrastructure and academic activities of TISS, Guwahati campus.
The chief minister also held a virtual meeting with Dr Milind V Kirtane, a renowned ENT specialist, regarding strengthening the ENT treatment facilities in Assam.
He urged Dr Kirtane to initiate a training programme from April this year to develop a team of specialists in Assam, the statement added.
