Assam Government Enhances Ties with UK Ahead of Free Trade Agreement
Strengthening Assam-UK Relations
Assam Chief Secretary with Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to East and Northeast India on Wednesday (Photo: @CSAssam_/X)
Guwahati, Jun 24: The Assam administration is formulating a strategic plan to enhance collaboration with the United Kingdom, coinciding with the upcoming India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) set to take effect on July 15, 2026.
Chief Secretary Ravi Kota engaged in discussions with British Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Fleming, covering various initiatives such as the proposed Assam-UK Infrastructure Roundtable and the UK-India Sovereign AI Partnership.
Kota shared on social media that the talks aimed at bolstering Assam-UK cooperation in areas like investment promotion, export growth, technology integration, infrastructure development, and skill enhancement.
He stated, "In light of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement coming into effect on July 15, 2026, we deliberated on a strategic roadmap to enhance Assam-UK cooperation across investment promotion, export growth, technology integration, infrastructure development, and skills enhancement, leveraging Assam's rapidly evolving economic landscape."
Additionally, the UK delegation presented a report supported by UK PACT regarding the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Need Assessment and Analysis for Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL).
This report provides recommendations aimed at improving grid reliability, expediting renewable energy integration, and aiding the state's transition to clean energy.
The meeting also discussed the proposed Assam-UK Infrastructure Roundtable in Guwahati, which aims to foster partnerships in sustainable urbanization, transportation, flood resilience, climate-resilient infrastructure, and project delivery.
Kota mentioned, "We also discussed the proposed Assam-UK Infrastructure Roundtable in Guwahati to facilitate partnerships in sustainable urbanization, transport, flood resilience, climate-resilient infrastructure, and project delivery, including potential engagement with UK Export Finance (UKEF)."
Further discussions explored opportunities under the proposed UK-India Sovereign AI Partnership, focusing on trusted AI infrastructure, sovereign cloud capabilities, advanced computing, and AI governance frameworks to support Assam's digital transformation agenda.
Kota emphasized that the meeting reaffirmed a mutual commitment to converting the opportunities presented by the India-UK FTA into concrete results through enhanced trade, investment, technology partnerships, and institutional cooperation.
He remarked, "The meeting reaffirmed our shared commitment to translating the opportunities emerging from the India-UK FTA into tangible outcomes through enhanced trade, investment, technology partnerships, and institutional cooperation, supporting Assam's long-term growth and global competitiveness."
Fleming characterized the meeting as timely, especially with the imminent implementation of the UK-India FTA.
He noted, "We discussed opportunities across various sectors and sub-sectors, including infrastructure, agriculture-tech, AI, skill development, sports, MSMEs, climate, and energy."