Assam Potential and Opportunities
Assam is one of the most vibrant
states in the North Eastern region of India and is full of most of the
important natural resources that attracts the attention of many investors to
set up their production and manufacturing units in the state. Assam offers a
range of lucrative business opportunities in the region. Both the central and
state governments have allowed exclusive incentives Assam. These include
enormous subsidies to support power, transportation, land and infrastructure
development for setting up business in the state. The state has enormous
reserves of natural resources. Assam is blessed with abundant river waters,
huge hydrocarbon potential, large quantities of low ash coal resources,
limestone and dolomite deposits as well as a few other unexplored minerals. The
natural climate of Assam is encouraging for plantation crops offering ideal
climatic conditions for growing tea and rubber. Assam also possess a vast
potential for forest-based industries. Some of the forest resources available
in the state including bamboo, medicinal herbs and wood, which are utilised for
setting up of forest-based industries. For tourism, Assam offers vast
potential. The state is packed with a number of tourist places.
Key Thrust Areas
- IT-based Industries
- Tea-based Industries
- Food Processing Industry
- Crude Oil and Natural Gas
- Petrochemicals
- Agro-based Industry
- Forest-based Industry
- Mineral Based Industry
- Engineering Industry
- Chemicals Industry
- Handicrafts Sector
- Textile-based Industry
- Horticulture
Agriculture and agro based Industries:
Assam is an agriculture based economy. About 75 per cent of workforce is
engaged in agriculture and allied activities. 40 per cent of the area in the
state is under cultivation. Agriculture alone contributes to 40 per cent of the
State Gross Domestic Product (SGDP). The climatic condition in Assam is suited
for growth of a variety of food crops, such as paddy and corn. The state also
grows plantation (cash) crops, such as tea and rubber. Some of the agriculture
base industries developed in the state include; silk-reeling and jute-based
products. The huge agro-based industry in Assam offers a favourable environment
for the manufacturing of Medium Density Fiber (MDF) boards, which is an ideal
substitute for plywood and timber.
Tea production:
Assam produces about 51 per cent of tea in India. Tea industry in Assam
contributes to a remarkable share of the state economy. tea is grown both in
the Brahmaputra and Barak plains. Some of the districts where tea gardens are
mostly found in Assam are Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Jorhat, Golaghat,
Nagaon and Sonitpur. Tea industry in Assam engages about 17% of the workers in
the state. Assam is home to one of the world’s oldest and largest Tea Research
Centres at Toklai in Jorhat. The world’s second largest Tea Auction Centre was
established in 1970 at Guwahati, Assam for better marketing of the tea produced
in Assam and other NER states.
Bamboo-based Industries:
Assam has the maximum concentration of bamboo in the entire North east region.
The natural climatic condition makes it possible for the healthy growth of
bamboo plantation in the state. Bamboo is put only to traditional use, such as
handicrafts and papermaking. A bamboo mission has been announced by the
Government of India for promoting bamboo-based industries in the NER.
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Industries :
Assam is also a forerunner in the production of medicinal and aromatic plants.
The state has a very favourable environment for the growth and development of
allied industries as the sate is one of the richest repositories of medicinal
and aromatic plants (MAP) in the world. There are more than 300 species of
commercially important medicinal plants produced in the state. However the
state needs a scientific c approach for the exploration, conservation and value
addition in the field of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP) industries. This
offers a huge business opportunity for investors.
Sericulture Industry:
Sericulture in Assam offer vast business opportunities. The state is home to
the production of four unique varieties of silk worms, such as Eri, Muga, Oak
Tassar and Mulberry. Sericulture has a lot of potential in Assam and offers one
of the highly profitable business sector as the state offers tremendous
potential for the development of large scale industries based on silk. Assam
state government has established a number of silk processing and spinning units
in the state. The state also provides a host of other infrastructure services
necessary for sericulture industry.
Energy : Oil &Gas Based industry:
Assam has a potential of over 1.3 billion tonnes of proven crude oil and 156
billion cu. mt. of natural gas reserves. The state offers superior quality
natural gas at very attractive price. Assam accounts for approximately 15% of
India’s crude output. The oil wells located at Digboi, Duliajan, Sivasagar
produce Natural gas, which accounts for about 50% of India’s total onshore gas
production. Assam was the first state in India where oil was struck at Digboi
in the year 1889. The state is home to the oldest refinery in the country that
started commercial production in the year 1901. The Assam Division of the
Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), has a refining capacity of about 3 lakh tonnes
of petrol, kerosene, diesel and other petroleum products. The refinery at
Noonmati in Guwahati, which is the second refinery in Assam produces liquified
petroleum gas (LPG), petrol, kerosene, diesel, furnace oil, coke etc.
Established in the year 1962, Bongaigaon Refinery and Petro-Chemicals Limited
(BRPL) was the third refinery in the state. The fourth refinery in Assam
established at Numaligarh of Golaghat has a refining capacity of 3 million
tonnes of oil and other products.
Major Refineries in Assam with their Capacities:-
Major Refineries in Assam with their Capacities:-
- Refinery Capacity (in MMTPA)
- Digboi Refinery 0.65
- Guwahati Refinery 1.00
- Numaligarh Refinery 3.00
- Bongaigaon Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd 2.35
Almost all the petroleum producing
areas of the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam contain ‘associated natural gas’.
These natural gas producing beds are located at Naharkatia, Moran, Lakuwa and
Rudrasagar. Duliajan, North Guwahati, Silchar have LPG bottling plants.
Another hydrocarbon plant, namely
Assam Gas Cracker Plant is also coming up, which has the production capacity of
220,000 TPA of HDPE/LLDPE and 60,000 TPA of Polypropelene. The sate has
witnessed about 32 significant hydrocarbon discoveries in the last 4 years or
so through private sector/ joint venture companies. The state has a vast
untapped potential for further beatification of petroleum and hydrocarbon
resources in the region.
Mineral Resources:
Assam is rich in mineral resources, such as coal, limestone, iron ore and
granite, Fireclay, Lithomarge, Fuller’s Earth, Sillimanite and Glass Sand. The
state produces 320 Mn.T. Of Coal, 703 Mn.T. Of Limestone, 11 Mn.T of Iron Ore
and 1 Bn. Cu. Mtrs of Granite. The coal found in Assam has a high sulphur
content and high volatile matter content. The state has a vast reserve of
reserves of about 500 million tonnes of Limestone. Assam is also produces China
clay, which is a vital input for the ceramics industry. There are vast deposits
of decorative stone, such as granite is available in various shades and
colours. It is estimated to be more than a billion cubic meters are, which have
a huge market potential both locally and internationally. There are vast
business opportunities available in the state based on minerals, which includes
Gasification and Liquefaction of Coal, De-Sulphurisation of Coal, Coal based
Power Plant, Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Extraction, Exploration of Oil and Natural
Gas and HDPE / LLDPE / Polypropylene based industries.
Cottage Industry:
Assam is famous for its wide range of cottage industries. Most of these are in
the field of spinning and weaving. The key expertise lies in the production of
Pat or pure silk. Assam produces about 10% of total natural silk of India.
There are more than 7,00,000 looms in the state. Majority of these looms are
primitive foot looms. This gives a very unique identity to the weaving and
spinning industry in Assam. Bell-metal work is another traditional cottage
industry of Assam. The various products made of bell-metal include traditional
plates, cups, tumblers, pitchers, bowls, sarais, dwarf pitchers, pots, hookahs
and musical instruments. Brass-work is also an important traditional handicraft
of Assam.
And, In now a days Assam has got many modern road transport
for travelling and carriage of resources from one place to another like
Buses,Train,Airplanes and Trucks,etc for transporation of different
resources and Now in this Digital world online booking of
buses,train,airplanes are done and also trucks can be booked for
carriage from one place to another through online truck booking websites
like goodsonmove.com provides solution for you to book trucks online for transporation of resources and industrial development after independence has got a big boost in development of assam.
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