GUWAHATI: The Centre has approved the establishment of an IIM in Assam and IIM Ahmedabad will be the mentor to oversee the process.This was confirmed by a notification shared by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma through his official X account.
Taking to X, Sarma said, “Following our request in 2023, Hon PM Shri @narendramodi ji has given a special gift to the people of Assam by approving an Indian Institute of Management near Guwahati, making it among the few cities to house an IIT, AIIMS, Nat’l Law Univ & now IIM.”
Click here to join our WhatsApp channel.
He further added, “This will be game changer for Assam, making the State an education hub in Eastern India and also help fulfill our economic aspirations. I envisage these premiere institutes to collaborate among themselves and industry to unleash the power of multidisciplinary education. As evident from the letters, the swift transformation from idea to execution illustrates the power of a Double Engine government. My gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji and Hon’ble Education Minister Shri @dpradhanbjp Ji for their cooperation.”
In a letter dated April 10, 2024, the Joint Secretary to the Ministry of Education, PK Banerjee, wrote to the Director of IIM Ahmedabad, stating, “I am directed to say that a proposal for the establishment of a new IIM in the State of Assam is under examination in this ministry. The State Department has agreed to provide a plot of land free of cost and free from all encumbrances in an area with good infrastructure and industrial linkages.
Accordingly, state government identified four plots of land and provided the details of the said land to this Ministry for selection. The Site Selection Committee, under the Chairpersonship of Prof. V. K. Paul, Professor, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi has finalised the plot situated at Marabhita measuring 574 bighaa 1 katha-12 lessa = 76.8332 hectare, Dag no. 71 and 124, category of land VGR The Secretary, Higher Education Department, Goverment of Assam vide letter dated February 16, 2024 has agreed to all the recommendations made by the Site Selection Committee in its report.”
In the earlier letters addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in April 2023, Chief Minister Sarma emphasised the strategic importance of establishing an IIM in Assam. He underscored the potential for economic development in the North Eastern Region, citing Assam's diverse industrial sectors and its proximity to South Asian countries.
On May 20, 2022, Sarma had written to Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, requesting establishment of an IIM in Assam. The letter stated, “....Assam, being the leading state in the region with a sizeable population of over 3.40 crore and being a hub of diverse industrial sectors such as oil, tea, coal, and petrochemical, always feels the lack of a premier management institute of the stature of an IIM.”
He went on to add, “The establishment of an IIM, in addition to the already existing IIT Guwahati, will enable these premier institutions to work in tandem in various fields.” The same letter was also forwarded to the Prime Minister’s office on April 19, 2023.
The approval for establishing an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Guwahati, marks a significant milestone for the region's educational landscape.
With this development, Guwahati joins the ranks of select cities housing prestigious institutions like IITs, AIIMS, and National Law Universities. This move not only enhances Assam's stature as an educational hub in Eastern India but also holds the promise of boosting its economic growth.
