Assam CM Himanta meets Rajnath, seeks role for State in defence sector

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss strategic pathways for positioning Assam as a major player in the country’s rapidly growing defence ecosystem.

The high-level meeting focused on aligning Assam with the Centre’s ongoing push to strengthen indigenous defence manufacturing and enhance production capabilities under the flagship ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat ’ initiative.

Sharing details of the interaction on social media platform X, the Chief Minister described the meeting as “always enriching” and lauded Singh’s long-standing leadership. “He is a powerhouse of wisdom and knowledge. We have so much to learn from his vast experience as an excellent administrator, a dedicated public servant and a veteran karyakarta,” Sarma stated.

During the deliberations, Sarma explicitly sought the Defence Minister’s guidance and blessings to unlock future development opportunities for Assam. He emphasised that integrating the State into the national defence sector is a key component of Assam’s broader focus on upgrading industrial development and enhancing strategic infrastructure in the Northeast.

The Chief Minister also expressed his gratitude to the Defence Minister for his extensive campaigning efforts during the recent Assam Assembly elections.