Guwahati: The Government of Mizoram organised a Roundtable Session in association with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Ernst and Young and Invest India on May 4.

The Roundtable was part of a series of multi-city investors’ roundtable programmes organised in the run-up to the Northeast Global Investors Summit, which will be held in New Delhi later this year.

Chief Minister Zoramthanga, who was the chief guest at the roundtable, said Mizoram “truly looks like a paradise, and there is ample land and opportunity here, with over 30,000 sq km of land for people to live on”.

“The region is ideal for agriculture and horticulture, with a variety of fruits and vegetables growing well here, including tomatoes, dragon fruit, and apples. There is a lot of potential for investment in horticultural products, as the region offers many opportunities for growth and development,” he said.

Chief Secretary Dr Renu Sharma added an optimistic note by saying that as they move forward with a short-term and long-term perspective, they are thrilled to announce the upcoming Northeast Global Investors Summit 2023 in August, which will serve as a platform for galvanising initiatives and R320 efforts.

This investment summit marks a significant milestone for the NER states, and this workshop is a crucial step towards collating all efforts and achieving fruitful outcomes in our quest for sustainable development.

The DoNER secretary, Lok Ranjan, elaborated on the attractive investment opportunities in the North East. He said that it has been encouraging to see the interest and support from every stakeholder group towards showcasing the potential that exists in the northeastern region.

“As we continue to work towards a global investment summit and pursue customised investment packages, we must also plan systematically and leverage government investments to create opportunities for non-government players,” he said, adding that the Ministry of DoNER will provide complete support to the state in this regard.

The event saw the participation of 100 attendees and 50 enterprises from all over India.

Mizoram shares international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, and this opens significant trade avenues. The state has an agrarian economy and is home to the renowned Mizo ginger and Mizo chillis. New-age agriculture techniques have improved the productivity of products like rice, bamboo, strawberries etc. The state government has also enabled effective land use policy supporting significant opportunities for farmers and industries to be set up in the state.

The tourism sector in recent years has witnessed substantial growth. Tourist footfall has increased thanks to the unique natural heritage of the state including majestic mountains, waterfalls, and natural parks such as the Phulpui national park. Entertainment activities such as paragliding, hiking and other adventure activities are great attractions.

Officials said Mizoram has many opportunities for businesses estimated at $18.77 billion as part of NIP (National Infrastructure Plan) and non-NIP projects. Many of these projects are in the construction and infrastructure sector. The state also has plans of setting up a hydroelectric power plant that can generate about 800 MW of power.

With the roundtable, the Ministry and the state government are looking forward to healthy investment opportunities in various sectors in the region. As a part of the pre-Summit activities, road shows will be organised in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Dhaka (Bangladesh).

A DoNER official told Business Northeast that a similar event will take place in Sikkim on May 8.

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