The Landing at MediaCityUK forges Indo-British tech partnership

MediaCityUK-based digital and technology enterprise hub The Landing has entered into a new tech partnership with T-Hub in Hyderabad, India.

The agreement was announced on Wednesday (April 18) in meetings involving PM Theresa May and her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London.

As part of the tie-up, The Landing and T-Hub will collaborate to create an Innovation Bridge Programme promoting innovation and accelerating growth in the tech industry.

The programme will operate along two distinct pathways – Market Access and CoCreate.

Market Access, a bilateral exchange programme, will give British startups the opportunity to accelerate their scaling in India and, conversely, offer Indian startups the chance to establish their business in Britain.

Participating companies will have access to support ranging from localisation to help reconfiguring their business models for a new market.

The other side of the Innovation Bridge Programme, CoCreate, is an innovation challenge. It will see digital-tech entrepreneurs from Britain and India joining forces to solve large-scale challenges set by corporates.

Paul Billington, commercial director at The Landing, forged the partnership during a recent visit to India.

He said: “Our unique partnership with T-Hub in India will bring fantastic opportunities to British tech businesses looking to set up in India but it will also connect small tech businesses with large corporates across both continents, giving them significant exposure on the global stage.

“To receive the backing of the British and Indian Governments is an incredible achievement and further cements our position as an international innovator and leader in the technology and innovation sector.”

He added: “We are now fully focused on launching these two new programmes so that British tech businesses can begin to reap the benefits of this unique collaboration.”

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett commented: “The partnership between The Landing and T-Hub in India is a good example of Salford working with the government to deliver the Greater Manchester Strategy and the nation’s Industrial Strategy, it is the Northern Powerhouse in action.

“To see government recognising The Landing as a strategic international asset is real example of working globally and acting locally whilst showcasing our fantastic Salford businesses globally.”

The agreement is also backed by the recently formed Manchester India Partnership.

Tim Newns, chief exec of inward investment agency MIDAS, said: “We are delighted that The Landing is further strengthening ties between Greater Manchester and India, particularly in the highly dynamic tech industry.

“Collaboration on this scale is very exciting as it is only by working together and leveraging capabilities around new technology, talent, entrepreneurship and commercial opportunities and applications that we can truly innovate on a global scale.”