Assam
Assam is a northeastern state of India. Located just
below the eastern Himalayan foothills, it is surrounded
by the other northeastern states: Arunachal Pradesh,
Nagaland Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya. Assam
and its commercial capital Guwahati form the gateway
to the northeastern states, together called the seven
sisters.
It has the unique Locational advantage of being situated
close to South East Asian countries and hence it has
the potential to emerge as a strategic base for domestic
and foreign investors to tap the vast potential markets
of countries like China, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand,
Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, etc.
Assam's proximity to SAARC countries like Bangladesh,
Nepal and Bhutan gives it the investment potential considering
the advantage of border trade with theses countries.
Border Trade Centre at Sutarkandi in Karimganj district
and Mankachar in Dhubri district have been developed
to facilitate border trade with Bangladesh. It has been
proposed in the 11th five-year plan to set up two more
Border Trade Center, one at Ledo connecting China and
other at Darranga connecting Bhutan. There are several
Land Custom Stations (LCS) in the state bordering Bangladesh
and Bhutan to facilitate border trade.
Border points between Myanmar and North East region
have been opened at Moreh (Manipur) and Champhora (Mizoram).
Besides, Assam's internal waterway networks connect
it to Bangladesh giving it access to the ports of Chittagong
(Bangladesh), Kolkata and Haldia (West Bengal).
Industrial scenario has undergone a vast change in
Assam. Apart from tea, petroleum and petrochemicals,
other industries in various sectors like paper, fertilizer,
cement, coke, lime, sugar, engineering, plastic, steel,
printing, cosmetics, poultry & dairy products along
with handloom and handicraft have thrived in the state.
Moreover, with its rich flora and fauna, breathtaking
natural beauty, age-old temples and monuments, Assam
offers a unique potential for tourism industries for
both domestic and foreign market.
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