A high-level Team Europe delegation of the European Union will visit Guwahati, Assam, on 8-9 June to advance collaboration with India's North-Eastern states, focusing on value chains in renewable energy, sustainable urban infrastructure, healthcare, semiconductors, tea and agri-food processing, flavours and fragrances, and AYUSH. The visit, announced by the EEAS on 7 June, aligns with the EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda agreed at the January 2026 Summit.
The delegation includes EU Ambassador to India and Bhutan Hervé Delphin and ambassadors and senior representatives from EU member states, alongside European business representatives. They will meet Assam's Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and participate in the "Blue Valleys: Building ecosystems and value chains between India and Europe" workshop on 9 June, organised by the Government of Assam. The visit will also launch Assam's first Blue Valley Cluster, a public-private-people-partnership (4P) industrial hub for fragrances, flavours, AYUSH, and food processing, connecting Europe, North-East India, and Bhutan.
The Blue Valleys initiative, introduced at the 2026 EU-India Summit, aims to promote industrial clusters, MSME linkages, and sector-specific value-chain integration between the EU and India, focusing on clean energy, natural ingredients, bamboo-based industries, eco-friendly textiles, biotech, wellness, and smart manufacturing. The delegation will also visit Tata Electronics' new semiconductor plant, highlighting Assam's role in high-tech manufacturing and the EU-India digital partnership under the Trade and Technology Council (TTC).
"North-East India and Assam at its core, has enormous potential... Through initiatives like Blue Valleys, we’re not just discussing cooperation, we’re building real, long-term business to business partnerships." He added that while EU-India ties are set at the summit level, they must take root at the state level.
The visit offers EU businesses new investment opportunities in Assam's growing sectors, particularly in sustainable manufacturing and high-tech. For Assam and North-East India, the Blue Valley cluster could attract foreign investment, create jobs, and integrate local producers into European supply chains. However, local MSMEs may face competition from larger European firms, and the success of the cluster depends on effective implementation of sustainability standards and skills development. The EU's Global Gateway strategy, aiming to mobilise up to €300 billion by 2027, underpins the initiative's funding.
The visit is expected to lead to concrete business partnerships and further state-level engagements under the EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda.