Himanta Biswa Sarma Seeks Rajnath Singh’s Intervention for Defence Corridor in Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called on Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Monday and urged him to expedite the establishment of a Defence Corridor in Assam, highlighting its strategic and economic significance for the region. 

During the meeting held at the Defence Minister’s official residence, CM Sarma underscored the need for such a corridor in the eastern frontier. “This will fortify the needs of our armed forces in the Eastern Frontier, strengthen the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ vision, and create new economic opportunities in the Northeast,” the Chief Minister conveyed to Rajnath Singh.

In response, the Defence Minister assured that his ministry is actively considering the proposal to set up a Defence Corridor in Assam.

Following the meeting, the Chief Minister took to social media platform 'X' to share details of the discussion. "Had the honour to call upon Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Adarniya @rajnathsingh Ji today in New Delhi. We spoke about establishing a defence corridor in Assam. This will serve multiple purposes - fortify the needs of our armed forces in Eastern Frontier, strengthen Hon’ble Prime Minister ‘Make in India’ vision and create new economic opportunities in the North East," he wrote. 

Had the honour to call upon Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Adarniya @rajnathsingh Ji today in New Delhi. We spoke about establishing a defence corridor in Assam. This will serve multiple purposes - fortify the needs of our armed forces in Eastern Frontier, strengthen Hon’ble Prime… pic.twitter.com/dd45QKOI0c

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 26, 2025

The Government of Assam has formulated the Assam Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Policy 2025 aimed at establishing the State as a leading hub for aerospace and defence manufacturing in India. The policy leverages Assam's strategic location, infrastructure, and natural resources to attract investments and foster innovation within the sector. 

Assam's geographical location, proximity to Southeast Asia, and existing infrastructure are seen as advantages for attracting investments and creating an industry ecosystem. 

The policy seeks to leverage Assam’s strategic location, existing infrastructure, and proximity to Southeast Asia to attract both domestic and international investments. It offers a range of incentives including capital subsidies, SGST reimbursement, transport subsidies, and production-linked incentives. It also emphasises skill development by providing targeted support for workforce training in the defence and aerospace sectors.

Key focus areas under the policy include aircraft and defence equipment manufacturing, avionics, maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) services, simulation technologies, and research and development (R&D).

Assam’s initiative is in alignment with the Ministry of Defence’s target of achieving a $26 billion turnover in aerospace and defence manufacturing by 2025, including $5 billion in exports. The state government is actively pursuing partnerships with defence manufacturers, startups, and global technology leaders to realise this ambitious vision.