GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said the state’s partnership with the European Union (EU) reflects a shared vision of building resilient, sustainable, and innovation-driven economies that create opportunities for people, while strengthening the India-Europe cooperation.
Addressing a press conference here on the final day of the EU delegation’s two-day visit to the state, Sarma said that India and the European Union have established an ambitious roadmap in areas including trade, investment, technology, innovation, connectivity and security.
He said this was possible due to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and that ”Assam stands to tremendously benefit from it”.
There is immense potential for collaboration across strategic sectors like semiconductors and electronics, defence and aviation, tea, agarwood, organic foods, natural fragrances and flavours, and AYUSH-based wellness products, where Assam and the wider northeast region possess unique strengths and global market opportunities, the CM said.
”Assam also looks forward to leverage European cooperation in sunrise and other emerging sectors such as semiconductors, electronics, manufacturing, AI, biotechnology, etc, to create high-quality opportunities for our youth and to cater to the growing domestic demand for these avenues,” he said.
The chief minister said that the launch of the ‘Blue Valley Cluster’ project is a landmark India-EU cooperation, which will directly benefit local farmers.
”Through initiatives such as the Blue Valleys platform, we aim to connect thousands of farmers, women-led self-help groups, startups, researchers, and industries with international value chains, enabling inclusive growth, technology transfer, quality employment, and sustainable prosperity across Assam and the northeast,” he said.
The initiative opens immense avenues for European companies to process state-grown products, successfully positioning Assam on the global trade map, Sarma asserted.
The Blue Valley initiative is a key outcome of Advantage Assam Investment Summit 2.0 and is a new chapter in the Assam-Europe partnership, he said.
“The Blue Valley initiative translates this global strategic cooperation into local opportunities, fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable growth,” he said.
India and the EU have established an ambitious roadmap for cooperation across diverse sectors with the adoption of the ‘Towards 2030 agenda’, Sarma said.
“Assam is rapidly emerging as the gateway connecting India with Southeast Asia and the initiative seeks to link Assam’s natural strengths with global value chains, creating new avenues for growth, innovation and investment,” he said.
Sarma also said that the achievement of the state government during the last five years was only the beginning.
“With a strong economic momentum and growing investor confidence, Assam is steadily emerging as one of India’s most sought after destinations for investment,” he added. (Source: PTI)
