Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarmaon Sunday met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and held discussions focused on expanding the defence manufacturing ecosystem in Assam.
After the meeting, the Chief Minister said he expressed gratitude to the Defence Minister for his support during the recently concluded Assam Assembly elections. He also acknowledged Singh’s active involvement in campaigning and the assistance extended to the state.
Sarma said that the discussions also touched upon future possibilities of strengthening the defence sector in Assam. He noted that efforts would be made to bring defence public sector undertakings (PSUs) and private defence companies together to the state through an industry expo and conference.
According to him, Rajnath Singh also encouraged Assam to organise a large-scale defence industry event and assured full cooperation from the Centre in this initiative. The move is expected to boost investment opportunities and create a stronger industrial base in the defence manufacturing sector in the state.
Later in the day, the Assam Chief Minister also met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. During the meeting, Jaishankar congratulated Sarma on the NDA’s electoral performance in Assam and assured continued support for the state’s development initiatives.
In a social media post, Jaishankar said he was pleased to meet the Chief Minister and reiterated the Centre’s commitment to Assam’s growth and development.
The series of high-level meetings came a day after Sarma’s discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Following those meetings, the Chief Minister also announced that the expansion of the Assam Council of Ministers will take place on June 5.