Semiconductor plant created an entire ecosystem in Assam: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Vaishnaw said the setting up of the semiconductor assembly unit at Morigaon will position Assam as a major hub and very soon, another such unit will be set up in the state

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said the semiconductor plant in Assam's Morigaon district has created an entire ecosystem, attracting investment interest from multiple countries.

Speaking at a session on semiconductors, the minister for railways, electronics and information technology said the setting up of the semiconductor assembly unit at Morigaon will position Assam as a major hub and very soon, another such unit will be set up in the state. 

Several companies from Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan are expected to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and set up offices near the semiconductor plant, he added.

"Apart from semiconductors, Assam will soon have manufacturing units for mobile phones and electronics, further boosting the state's industrial landscape," he said.

The decision to set up the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) University was taken a few months ago at Jagiroad on encroached railway land, the minister said.

"The land has been cleared, and the university will come up soon," he said.

In addition, an electronics manufacturing cluster will be set up at Bongora in Kamrup district, with both the central and state governments working together to create a vibrant industrial hub, Vaishnaw said.

He also detailed significant railway projects in the region, emphasising the sector's close connection to semiconductor growth.

Two new Amrit Bharat trainsSilchar-Guwahati Intercity and Guwahati-Agartala Intercityhave been sanctioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and are expected to be operational within the next 10 months, he said.

"To improve connectivity, the government is working on doubling and tripling railway tracks, with plans to quadruple lines in the Chicken's Neck areathe narrow strip connecting the Northeast with the rest of India," he added.

Among 90 railway stations in the Northeast, 60 stations in Assam will be upgraded to world-class Amrit stations, including Guwahati railway station.

The minister also revealed plans to develop a 12-storey IT hub at Guwahati railway station, with 10 floors dedicated to the IT industry.

"A state-of-the-art IT hub will emerge in Assam, strengthening the region's technology ecosystem," he added.

Vaishnaw reiterated the government's commitment to Bodoland, pointing out that a railway workshop and manufacturing unit will be set up as per the peace accord.

"The state government has allotted 750 acres in Bansbari, and the railways will soon prepare a proposal for a railway coach manufacturing and repair facility," he said.

Additionally, an old locomotive remanufacturing unit will be set up in Lumding.

For Assam-Bhutan connectivity, the Centre is working on a railway link between Kokrajhar and Gelephu to improve trade and transportation between the two regions.

The railway minister said 100 per cent railway electrification will be completed in the entire Northeast by March 2026. 

"The Centre has sanctioned Rs 10,000 crore for railway connectivity in the Northeast in the Budget when earlier it was only Rs 2,000 crore," the minister added.