NE Biz Summit in Delhi to focus on investments

Guwahati, Apr 6: The third North East Business Summit, to be held in New Delhi between April 10-11, would attract investors to the region, especially with the incentives and facilities provided in the new North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP).

Stating this during a press meet here today, Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) NE Initiative chairman M K Saharia said, ''The summit will be attended by delegates from Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh and other countries, besides other Indian states. We hope to attract investment through the summit.'' The summit would be inaugurated by Vice-Presdient Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, with a conclave of the chief ministers of the NE, where they would present the investment opportunities in their respective states, being a special focus of the two-day meet.

New Delhi will be hosting the NE Business Summit, organised by the ICC and the Department of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER), for the second time.

Mr Saharia pointed out that the earlier NE business summits had been beneficial for the region and the third summit would result in more advantage for NE.

He said, ''The expansion of Alliance Air services to NE, with special funding by the DoNER, and better communication network in the region by mobile service operators are among the outcomes of the earlier summits.'' ''Sikkim had got 74 projects, which are in various levels of completion, after the first summit in Mumbai,'' he added. However, he added, that the benefits could have been more far reaching if the special facilities provided under the old investment policy for NE were not extended to Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh.

''The new NEIIPP is a unique and very promising one for investors. We hope to capitalize on the incentives provided in it,'' he added.

The ICC NE chairman informed that the business body had received 15 definite enquiries from investors in Thailand ranging from investments in the infrastructure development sector to food processing and allied sectors.

''The Commerce Minister of Thailand will be delivered the valedictory address in the summit and he will be accompanied by a strong delegation,'' he added.

He informed that three road shows in Kolkata, Bangkok and Bangalore were organised in the run-up to the summit to attract more delegates and all the three events had been major successes.

UNI