Advantage Assam 2.0: 'Pathbreaking' 5G lab near Gauhati University soon
DoNER Minister Scindia urged state to shift from an employee-driven to an employer- and innovator-led economy;
Union Minister for DoNER Jyotiraditya Scindia (left) and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (right) during a session at Advantage Assam 2.0 (Photo: @himantabiswa/ X)
Guwahati, Feb. 25: A 5G lab is set to be established near Gauhati University, marking a significant step in Assam’s digital transformation.
Announcing the development on Day 1 of the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed it as a “new and path-breaking” initiative.
Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Jyotiraditya Scindia, who shared the stage with Sarma in a session titled "IWay to Viksit Assam", confirmed that the lab’s operations would begin immediately.
“Assam is a gateway to Southeast Asia and a logistics powerhouse,” Scindia said, highlighting the state’s growing role in India’s economic landscape.
“In fact, I would like to rename this summit from Advantage Assam to Advantage India,” he added, underlining the region’s potential.
Highlighting Assam’s rapid economic progress, Scindia pointed out that the state has witnessed a decadal growth rate of 12.6%, with last year alone recording a staggering 19.6% growth.
On fostering entrepreneurship, Scindia stressed that Assam should shift from being an employee-driven economy to one led by employers and innovators.
“Along with physical highways, we need an IWay—a digital highway—to development,” he said.
Several industry leaders echoed the sentiment, advocating for robust digital infrastructure.
Robert J Ravi of BSNL outlined three key pillars for IWay to Viksit Assam - ensuring digital access for citizens, equipping industries for next-gen automation, and smart governance to offer best citizen-services to the people.
“If industries fail to adapt to automation, they will lag behind,” he warned.
Sunil Dutt of Reliance Jio described digital connectivity as the “life force of progress”.
“Just as our ancestors thrived through innovation and adaptation, Assam must now embrace the digital revolution to reclaim its ancient glory,” he said.
With ambitious digital initiatives and large-scale investments, the state is positioning itself as a technological hub, bridging tradition with innovation.
In a major infrastructure push, Chief Minister Sarma also revealed that the Centre is planning to establish a hyper-scale data centre spanning 1 million square feet in Assam.
