Guwahati, Jun 24 (PTI): Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota on Wednesday said he has met British Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Fleming and discussed with him a strategic roadmap to boost cooperation against the backdrop of the India–UK Free Trade Agreement.
Among other issues, they also discussed the proposed Assam–UK Infrastructure Roundtable and UK–India Sovereign AI Partnership, the chief secretary said in a post on X.
“Delighted to meet Dr Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to East and Northeast India, alongside Haimanti Poddar, Senior Climate and Energy Adviser and Sustainable Mobility Policy Lead (India), UK FCDO.
“In the context of the India–UK Free Trade Agreement coming into force on July 15, 2026, we discussed a strategic roadmap to strengthen Assam–UK cooperation across investment promotion, export growth, technology integration, infrastructure development and skills enhancement, leveraging Assam’s rapidly evolving economic ecosystem,” Kota said.
The delegation presented the UK PACT-supported Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Need Assessment and Analysis Report for Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), which provides recommendations to strengthen grid reliability, accelerate renewable energy integration and support Assam’s clean energy transition, he added.
“We also deliberated on the proposed Assam–UK Infrastructure Roundtable in Guwahati to facilitate partnerships in sustainable urbanisation, transport, flood resilience, climate-resilient infrastructure and project delivery, including potential engagement with UK Export Finance (UKEF),” the chief secretary said.
He said that the discussions further explored opportunities under the proposed UK–India Sovereign AI Partnership, including trusted AI infrastructure, sovereign cloud capabilities, advanced computing and AI governance frameworks to support Assam’s digital transformation agenda.
“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,” Kota said.
Commenting on the meeting, Fleming said it was a timely discussion since the UK-India FTA is due to come into force soon.
“We discussed opportunities in a variety of sectors and sub-sectors, including infrastructure, agriculture-tech, AI, skilling, sports, MSMEs, climate and energy,” he added.
