1. How the role of ICC is driving the system of business, trade regulation in Assam?

ICC is the premier body of business and industry in Eastern and North-Eastern India & one of the most pro-active Chambers in India. With over eighty years of service to the nation, the ICC retains the character of being the premier Chamber with senior Indian industry leaders forming the core of its Executive Committee or the Governing Board of the Chamber. Its enlightened leadership and membership have enabled the ICC to move ahead and respond pro-actively to the dynamic changes that have taken place in the world order and with a vision for the future.

ICC has been working in close coordination with the various Departments of Govt. of Assam along with the business fraternities of Assam. Through a unique mix of policy advocacy, solutions, and standard-setting, ICC promotes international trade, responsible business conduct, and a global approach to regulation, in addition to providing market-leading dispute resolution services.

2. How the services by the Indian Chamber of Commerce has benefitted the industries of Assam in Northeast India as a whole?

ICC North East Initiative is engaging with state governments in livelihood generation by promoting indigenous products of the region through export-oriented projects. ICC arranges conferences, seminars, interactive sessions, training programmes, business delegations, exhibitions, and platforms for investors to connect.

ICC has a very strong focus on Economic Research & Policy issues apart from generating high-quality knowledge reports. ICC has been preparing sector-wise reports & proactively sending various recommendations to the State Governments and acts as a mediator between Industries & the Governments.

ICC North East has formed different Sectoral Committees like Agriculture & Horticulture, Tourism & Hospitality, Education, Banking & MSME, Health, Energy, Handloom & Handicrafts, etc. Committee meetings are conducted in regular intervals to understand the requirement of various industries and recommendations are sent to the concerned departments of the States.

ICC North East has got a dedicated IPFC( Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre) at Guwahati under the Ministry of MSME. It has a dedicated Attorney who works for the Promotion and registration of various Trademarks, Copyrights, Patents, Industrial Designs, and Geographical Indicators. Various MoUs have been signed with IIT- Guwahati, Assam Start-up, NIIT- Nagaland, Mizoram University, Manipur University, USTM, etc so as to ensure smooth registrations of any inventions. 

3. How would you explain ICC and the Government's role going hand in hand towards policies and investment in the industrial sector of Assam in the NE region?

For the NE region of India, ICC works closely with the Government of India with the Ministry of Food Processing Industry, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of MSME and arranges a number of joint initiatives.

ICC organises a number of Events, arranges a number of Business delegations to the North Eastern States to showcase the potential of NE and facilitate investment & to promote business and trade relations with ASEAN / BIMSTEC countries

ICC is recognized by the Ministry of DoNER as the designated Chamber for the NE region.

ICC organizes an array of annual events in NE as the North East Business Summit (NEBS). NEBS is one of the ICC NE Initiative jointly with the ministry of DoNER to Showcase the potential of NE and facilitate investment & to promote business and trade relations with ASEAN / BIMSTEC countries. NEBS is an initiative that dates back to the time when Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the PM and Shri Vajpayee had inaugurated the Summit. Since then, NEBS has become one of the largest gatherings for the NE region.

ICC also organizes “Fam-Tours” or the familiarization tour in NE for media so that the journalists could have a firsthand experience of the development work done by the Government and report in their respective media.

Act East Business Show is an initiative by ICC which is conducted every year to establish new business contacts and play an important role in the development of business by enhancing mutual investment prospects between North East India and the South East Asian Countries through leveraging areas of common interests.

ICC was instrumental in formulating the NEIDS (North East Industrial Devp. Scheme) for the promotion of the Industrial scenario in North East.

4. What in future ICC holds in bridging the gaps between business industries of NE India and International markets?

ICC has a special focus upon India’s a trade & commerce relations with South & South-East Asian nations, in sync with India’s ‘Act East Policy, and has played a key role in building synergies between India and the Asian neighbors like Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Bhutan through Trade & Business Delegation Exchanges, and large Investment Summits. ICC has been regularly working on the relations between North-East & the neighbouring Countries through various activities including the exchange of high-level delegations.

ICC has planned various activities & programs with the aim to maximize business development for the various participants from North East India as well as other southeast Asian countries. These platforms shall serve as a special forum to create investment and trading awareness and to get acquainted with the Indian & Overseas business community, mainly Southeast Asian countries in a variety of diverse fields like Skill Development & Education, Tourism, Information Technology & Electronics, Handloom & Handicraft, Art & Literature, Energy, Agriculture, Financial and Medical Services, etc.

5. ICC as a one-stop centre also provides investment information and services. How would you brief that?

ICC has a very strong focus on Economic Research & Policy issues apart from generating high-quality knowledge reports. ICC-NE has gained new momentum and dynamism over the last few years, and the Chamber has been hugely successful in spreading awareness about the great economic potential of the North-East at national and international levels.

ICC acts as the connecting bridge between the Industries & the Government. On the basis of the discussion & the inputs received by the sectoral committee members in the committee meetings held regularly, reports & recommendations are sent to the various departments of the State Governments.  

ICC has also been engaging in various initiatives in different parts of the country and abroad with a view to extending all possible services to our Members and Industry Players to enhance their competitiveness. ICC has launched a Trade Facilitation Desk to facilitate trade & business between India and the rest of the world. The Desk would cater to inquiries both from the members and non-members of ICC and would act as the single window for business matchmaking.

From the year 2002 onwards, ICC, being the ‘Designated Chamber for NE’ as recognized by the Ministry of DoNER, has successfully created awareness about the great economic potential of NE at national and international levels. Trade & Investment shows in North-East in countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Vietnam have created new vistas of economic cooperation.

6. What further initiatives are in your pipeline and how is it contributing to the economy of Assam?

ICC-North East has a special focus on India’s trade & commerce relations with South & South-East Asian nations, in sync with India’s ‘Act East Policy. Various activities are in pipeline in the sectors like Agri & Food Processing, Handloom & Textile, Consumer Affairs, Health Care, Skill Development, MSME & Start-Ups, Entrepreneurship development, Capacity Building initiatives, Environmental Safety, etc. With the collaboration with Government,

Development of the North East is an area to which the ICC accords topmost priority, citing the enormous opportunities that the region boasts to offer to the investors. In general, ICC events are looked at with high prominence from India Inc. and provide the grandest platforms for business houses to network with their relevant stakeholders to help our investors identify with the most prominent and relevant investment destinations in the countries of East and Southeast Asia.

ICC is planning to organize an ASEAN business Forum in Assam sometime in July- August 2022, wherein Investors will be brought from various ASEAN Countries from various sectors and explore options of investment and scope for exports from NE.