To explore the possibilities of the plastic-based industries in Assam and other northeastern states, a four-day Northeast International Plasto Fair 2010 was organized at Maniram Dewan trade centre recently.
Initiated by PlastIndia Foundation and Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER), the objective of the event was to invite investment, and facilitate joint venture collaborations with local entrepreneurs.
Over 120 plastic-based industries from across the country participated in the fair, showing increasing interest of businessman towards northeast.
MOU’s worth Rs 10 crore were signed; keen entrepreneurs made additional inquiries of worth Rs. 50 crore and three industries from Gujarat and Maharashtra have decided to set up units in the region too.
“I think there are only 5 per cent industries in northeast, so there is a scope for nearly 95 per cent of industries in the region left. So industrialist and entrepreneurs should come here,” said Shivkumar, a plastic Industrialist from Delhi.
“The per capita consumption of plastic in northeast is just 1 kg, whereas in the rest of the country it is 5kg and in many countries it is nearly 30 kg per anum.
So we can do a lot of up scaling in the consumption, as we will get a ready-made market here,” said Bhupati Das, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industries, Assam.
The Assam government has identified about 500 units in the plastic sector and in the fair; issues related to technology, finance and infrastructure were discussed.
The Centre and Assam have already undertaken an ambitious plan to encourage small and medium entrepreneurs to venture into the plastic industry, which will get a boost with the commissioning of the Assam Gas Cracker Project in 2012.
The gas cracker project coming up at Lepetkata in Dibrugarh would open up opportunities for investment in the plastic industry as a downstream project. The opening up of plastic industry will also generate employment and create revenue for native people.
”The market in Northeast is awesome. Any one putting their money in it will not lose because the market is huge and potential is large. Only that people are not aware, but once they are aware, the job is done,” said Amit Sirohi, Industrialist.
“Day by day, everything is coming under plastic; it has completely replaced metal. Now this age is called plastic age, so we can find a huge scope in plastics,” said Vishnu Choudhary, an Assamese industrialist.
NE International Plasto Fair 2010 unfolded enormous opportunities for the Small and Medium-scale entrepreneurs dealing in plastic raw material, machinery, finished products and allied sectors to explore and collaborate to take their business to greater heights.
Since peace and normalcy has returned to Assam state, the prospects are high for industrial growth.
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