Partner Article

David Cameron leads Indian trade delegation

David Cameron arrived in India on Monday for the largest ever Prime Ministerial trade mission to the country.

As part of a bid to boost Britain’s reputation as a trading nation around the world, Mr Cameron was accompanied by more than 100 companies on a three day visit to Mumbai and Delhi.

Over 30 SMEs went on the trip along with Ministers Lord Green, David Willetts, Hugo Swire and Greg Barker.

Companies joining the Government representatives included Debenhams, who plans to open 10 new Indian stores, and hair brands Brylcreem and TRESemmé, who plan to start selling their products in India.

The delegation will meet with a number of Indian Government Ministers, investors and businesses as part of a campaign to make Britain one of the top three fastest growing economies by 2050.

Mr Cameron said: “I am determined to everything I can to ensure that Britain succeeds in the global race and to link British business up to the world’s fastest growing economies.

“As India grows, it needs a partner that can support its ambition – in infrastructure, in energy, in healthcare and more. It wants its business to have unrivalled access to European and global markets and its students to get the best education in the world.

“Britain can do all these things and more. So, we have to get out there, make the case for Britain and open doors for British business.”

On the first day of the trip, the Government pledged to create a pan-Indian network of British business centres in the next four years, which will be the first of 20 schemes for overseas business networks backed by £8m of funding.

A study, called “UK India: A Natural Fit”, has also been produced for British companies to explore trade opportunities in the country.

Trade Minister, Lord Green, commented: “We are on track to double our trade with India by 2015. India has great potential to become one of the largest markets in the world.

“UK businesses are rightly recognising that they can reap the rewards of looking outside Europe for trading partners, selling their goods and services to high growth markets outside the EU.”

A series of deals and investments were also announced on Monday that could provide up to 500 British jobs and protect approximately 2,000 positions.

InterContinental Hotel Group said it will build 13 new Indian hotels, while Mott MacDonald was appointed design engineer for six stations of the £2bn Hyderabad metro project and Wolverhampton firm, Brit Health Care, said it will expand its new centre in Delhi to employ 20 more people.

Furthermore, Indian conglomerate, Sahara, said it will open a new International India Centre at the University of East London, and Tata Consultancy Services announced a new delivery centre in Liverpool that will create more than 300 jobs.

Amongst a string of other deals, the Government said it will use the trade mission to urge Indian technology companies to set up in the UK.

Lord Green concluded: “Government is clear that we must build deeper ties with India. This means supporting and encouraging a range of companies, both large and small, to do business there in the future.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .