Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Sibi George has said that Assam is emerging as an important destination for global investment and holds a unique position in India’s engagement with East and Southeast Asian countries under the Act East Policy. Speaking during the visit of a high-level European Union delegation to Guwahati on June 9, George said Assam has become one of the key pillars of India’s efforts to strengthen international partnerships and economic cooperation with countries in the eastern region. Referring to India’s foreign policy approach, George said the country’s engagement with the East has expanded significantly over the years.”If you look at India’s policies towards the East, we initially had Look East, which got transformed into Act East. There is tremendous progress in our engagement with the rest of the world under that concept. One of the important areas of cooperation is Assam. Assam offers something unique to the country, and that is generating a lot of interest among companies to come here,” he said.
The remarks came during the visit of a high-level “Team Europe” delegation led by European Union Ambassador to India Herve Delphin. The delegation visited Guwahati on June 8 and 9 to explore opportunities for cooperation and partnership across the eight Northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The visit is part of ongoing efforts by India and the European Union to deepen engagement under the India-EU Comprehensive Strategic Agenda, with a focus on trade, investment, connectivity, sustainable development and economic cooperation. During the visit, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma held discussions with members of the delegation on ways to strengthen commercial ties between Northeast India and European markets. The talks focused on expanding investment opportunities, increasing trade partnerships and exploring new areas of collaboration. Addressing reporters after the meeting, Sarma highlighted Assam’s economic growth and said the state is progressing at a faster pace than the national average.
“India is growing at 29 per cent, and Assam is growing at 45 per cent. That is the speed and momentum we have. Our economic growth trajectory will support investors who come to Assam,” the Chief Minister said. He also expressed confidence that Assam’s growth momentum would accelerate further in the coming years. “What we have achieved in the last five years, the momentum in the next five years will be much faster,” Sarma added. Officials said Northeast India is increasingly attracting attention from international investors because of its strategic location, improving infrastructure, natural resources and growing industrial ecosystem. Assam, in particular, is being viewed as a gateway to Southeast Asia and a key hub for trade, connectivity and business opportunities under the Act East Policy. The European Union delegation’s visit is being seen as an important step towards strengthening economic relations between Europe and Northeast India. The engagement is expected to open new avenues for investment, technology partnerships and business cooperation, while also helping showcase the region’s economic potential to international stakeholders.
