Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assam shut down four failing state-owned companies over the last ten years. Industries Minister Bimal Borah confirmed the move Thursday in the Legislative Assembly. The closed firms are Assam Minorities Development & Finance Corporation Ltd., Assam Plantation Crops Development Corporation, Assam State Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd., and Pragjyotish Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd.
The minister confirmed the government has no plans to sell off other state enterprises. Two of the shuttered businesses held no staff. The other two firms had 24 workers, all of whom accepted a Voluntary Retirement Scheme. Borah said, "The government is not considering the privatisation of any state-owned PSU."
Big money is moving into tech. Assam is betting on a new Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test facility in Jagiroad. The project carries a price tag over Rs 27,000 crore. The central government provided Rs 10,255 crore in aid, while the state added Rs 3,789 crore in incentives. Officials expect the plant to create 27,000 jobs. It will target markets like AI and telecommunications.
The state is pushing hard for local hires. Training is already underway. Over 500 women finished semiconductor programs in Karnataka, and 1,800 more recently headed to Bengaluru for technical skills. Officials are also pushing exports through new district committees. Assam shipped agarwood chips to Saudi Arabia and the UAE this May, marking the first legal export of the product worth Rs 2.35 crore.
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