Guwahati, Aug. 7: One of the major industrial groups of the country, which has made massive investments in the Northeast, has called for creating and fostering a peaceful environment in the region to accelerate development.

The Rs 1,200-crore Dharampal Satyapal (DS) Group, which has already made huge investments in the region, is bullish on the region.

“We must create a peaceful environment for more development in the region, which has immense scope,” Brig. (retd) M. Kumar, territorial head of DS Limited, told reporters here today.

He said the company would continue to make investments and is adding more factories in this difficult situation, which is leading to gainful employment for the local people. Locals comprise a huge chunk of the 2,200-strong workforce of the company in the region. “The Northeast has immense scope for growth and the bureaucracy is willing to work,” the senior officer said.

Kumar admitted that the company did face a tough time when changes were made in the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy 2007, which had made it clear that paan masala would not be eligible for benefits under the policy.

“But we did not shut shop and kept on working as we are committed to the region,” Kumar said, adding that every penny coming out of the tobacco business has been reinvested in the region.

The company is in the process of investing a tranche of Rs 150 crore in Guwahati, which includes setting up a five-star hotel. It is now looking for cement and power units in Meghalaya as part of a diversification process.

A flexible packaging unit has been commissioned at Bonda in Guwahati.

The total outlay on the Bonda unit would be around Rs 300 crore.

The DS group has also set up a manufacturing unit for heat-resistant latex rubber thread at Agartala.