EASE OF DOING BUSINESS: ASSAM GIVES SPECIAL PERMISSION TO RURAL YOUTH TO USE AGRI LAND

New Delhi, Jul 06, 2026 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday announced an ease-of-doing-business reform aimed at promoting rural entrepreneurship by allowing eligible youths to establish small industrial and Khadi units on agricultural land without obtaining prior land conversion approval.

Announcing the decision in a post on social media, Sarma said the initiative is intended to simplify the process of setting up micro-enterprises in rural areas and encourage self-employment.

“Our vision of #EaseOfDoingBusiness is to make it simpler for people to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams,” the Chief Minister said.

Under the new provision, eligible rural entrepreneurs can establish small industrial or Khadi units on agricultural land without seeking land conversion permission from the District Commissioner.

The Chief Minister said the government has introduced automatic land conversion for such eligible units, removing a key procedural requirement that often delayed the establishment of rural enterprises.

Officials said the reform is expected to reduce bureaucratic hurdles, improve the ease of doing business in rural Assam and encourage more young people to pursue entrepreneurship alongside or beyond traditional agriculture.

The initiative is also expected to benefit beneficiaries of various state government entrepreneurship and self-employment schemes by enabling them to establish production units on land they already own.

According to the government, the measure will help generate employment, strengthen village-based industries and promote value addition to agricultural produce through small-scale processing and manufacturing.

The decision is part of the Assam government’s broader efforts to improve the state’s investment climate through administrative reforms and simplified approval mechanisms.

In recent years, the state has introduced several initiatives to digitise government services, streamline business approvals and promote industrial growth under its ease-of-doing-business agenda.

The government has maintained that reducing regulatory bottlenecks is key to attracting investment while creating greater opportunities for rural youth through micro and small enterprises. The latest reform is expected to particularly benefit first-generation entrepreneurs seeking to establish businesses in their own villages without lengthy administrative procedures.