Assam-Japan Gateway 2023 event in Guwahati set to open up opportunities

GUWAHATI (ASSAM): As a maiden initiative to connect Japan with India’s north-Eastern state Assam socioeconomically, an annual mega event ‘Assam-Japan Gateway 2023’ is being organized in the state capital Guwahati on November 4-5. Apart from bringing Japan and Assam together culturally, the 2-day event also aims at fostering growth and progress for both regions by exploring business opportunities by facilitating collaborations in economic and technical spheres, promoting inbound and outbound tourism, and generating educational and employment opportunities for local youths.

The ‘Assam-Japan Gateway 2023’ event seems all set to become the game-changer event bringing Japan and Assam closer. Assam is playing a crucial role in India’s efforts to link up with and benefit from new markets in East Asian nations including Japan. The state is truly a ‘Gateway to East Asia’ for Indian markets.

Japan has already marked its presence in Assam where it has financially supported many key infrastructure projects i.e. Dhubri-Phulbari bridge on the Brahmaputra river, the Guwahati water supply system, and the Guwahati sewerage project. Assam-Japan Gateway 2023 is all set to add a new chapter to the ever-evolving India-Japan friendship.

Assam-Japan Gateway 2023 which aims to strengthen the bond between Assam and Japan is being organised in Guwahati for the first time. It vows to bring together two incredible cultures on a single platform to celebrate and explore the shared values, innovations, and opportunities that unite Assam and Japan. The event brings together diverse industries under one roof, opening doors to new possibilities and creating valuable connections.

The primary focus of the event is on three key objectives with the first being the mutual development between Assam and Japan. It aims to facilitate collaboration in economic and technical spheres, fostering growth and progress for both regions. The second objective is the cultural exchange for socioeconomic bonding to promote cultural exchange, allowing representatives from both countries to showcase their rich traditions and heritage.

The third aim is to generate educational and employability opportunities for local youths. The event intends to provide educational avenues and employment prospects, contributing to the socio-economic development of the participating regions.

Besides the grand opening ceremony, day 1 of the Assam-Japan Gateway 2023 event would witness a cultural extravaganza, the business seminar “Strengthening Economic Ties”, and a plenary session bringing experts from India and Japan from various fields and backgrounds deliberating on widespread business opportunities and finding mutual synergies.

The day-2 offers a major event – Investment Forum “Exploring Opportunities in Assam and Japan”, workshops on Assamese and Japanese culture, the tourism showcase “Promoting Tourism Potential” as well a plenary session.

Assam has been trying to strengthen its cultural, economic, and trade ties with Japan for many years now. The Assam-Japan Gateway is an initiative taken to boost and strengthen the bond with Japan in relation to trade and investments, cultural exchange, tourism, education, and research cultural and business centers, etc. As both nations embark on this journey of unity, celebration, and togetherness, the event ‘Assam Japan Gateway’ is expected to deepen economic cooperation, facilitate trade, and encourage investments between them.

Japan’s advanced technological strength and Assam’s rich natural resources combined together could produce positive and far-reaching results in favour of Japan, Assam, and India as a whole nation.

Why is Assam important?

Assam has the single largest tea-growing area in the world, constituting around one-seventh of the global tea production. The state accounts for over 50 percent of the country’s overall tea production. The state houses Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC), one of the largest CTC tea auction centers in the world.

According to the state government agencies Assam is also rich in natural resources – mineral, forest, water, and agricultural resources. The State is one of the richest biodiversity zones in the world and consists of tropical rainforests, deciduous forests, riverine grasslands, bamboo orchards, and numerous wetland ecosystems.

Assam has abundant mineral resources coal, petroleum; limestone, and natural gas are the principal mineral resources. It is also the largest producer of crude oil in India. Other minor minerals include magnetic quartzite, kaolin, sillimanites, iron ore, clay, and feldspar, etc.

The Barak and the Brahmaputra rivers with their innumerable tributaries are the sources of water for Assam. These rivers supply water for growing different crops and also offer fishing trade. The scope for establishing hydroelectric power utilizing the water resources in Assam is quite vast.

Assam also accounts for a fair share of India’s production of rice, rapeseed, mustard, jute, potato, sweet potato, banana, papaya, areca nut, and turmeric. Assam is also home to large varieties of citrus fruits, leaf vegetables, vegetables, useful grasses, herbs, spices, etc. which are mostly subsistence crops.

Assam Silk denotes the three major types of indigenous wild silks produced in Assam—Golden Muga Silk, White Pat, and Warm Eri silk. The Assam silk industry, now centered in Sualkuchi, is a labor-intensive industry. Assam enjoys a global monopoly in terms of Muga Silk production. The state accounts for around 95 percent of global Muga production. Moreover, Assam is the country’s major Eri Silk producer (accounts for 65 percent of the country’s Eri silk production). Raw Silk production in Assam and Bodoland reached 2,723 MT in the year 2017-18 (Up to November 2017)

Assam is a major producer of crude oil and natural gas in India. It was the second place in the world (after Titusville in the United States) where petroleum was discovered. Asia’s first successful mechanically drilled oil well was drilled in Makum (Assam) way back in 1867. The second oldest oil well in the world still produces crude oil.