Northeast business summit in Assam from Friday

A three-day North East Business Summit to attract investment to the industry-starved region will be organised in the Assamese city of Dibrugarh from Nov 22, officials said here Wednesday.

To be jointly organised by the union Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) and the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the ninth Summit is likely to see participation by investors and experts from various parts of the country and abroad.

"More than 500 delegates comprising investors, businessmen, exporters and policy makers from different parts of India and abroad would attend the summit," an official of the Tripura industries and commerce department told IANS.

"The chief ministers of Myanmar's Sagaing and Mandalay regions and some other foreign dignitaries would attend the summit and share their perspectives on trade and economic exchanges between northeast India and Myanmar.

"Participation of the two Myanmar chief ministers is extremely important as Myanmar is India's true gateway to the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) markets, and that it has opened up its economy to Asia and the world," the official said.

DoNER Minister Paban Singh Ghatowar, union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, Planning Commission member B.K. Chaturvedi, most chief ministers and ministers of the northeastern states and top officials of various government departments are expected to attend.

"Mineral, forest and human resource still remain untouched in northeast India. Tourism, health care, handloom and handicraft, agriculture, horticulture, agro and food processing and infrastructure and energy development are also high potential investment sectors in the region," Tripura Industries and Commerce Minister Jitendra Chowdhury told IANS.

Investment and development of information technology, infrastructure, energy, tourism, education and border trade in the region will also be highlighted during the summit, to be held at Dibrugarh University Nov 22 to 24.

The region is adjacent to China, Myanmar, Bhutan and Bangladesh, which Chowdhury said was "an advantage for attracting foreign investment".

During the summit, seminars, one-to-one meetings and exhibitions highlighting the scope for industries and resources offered by the region would be held.

"The central and state governments are providing several incentives, subsidies and tax holidays for ventures in the northeastern region," said the Tripura minister.

The central government's incentive package scheme, first implemented in December 1997, was re-introduced as the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy in April 2007.

So far, the Ministry of DoNER has organised eight North East Business summits in various parts of the country.

The ICC has also organised mega trade and investment shows on the northeast India abroad, particularly in South and South-East Asian countries having potential to be natural trade partners of the northeast region because of its strategic location and proximity to these countries.