Building on the ongoing negotiations for a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a trade mission formed of business and political leaders from the UK’s West Midlands is announced to take place between 6th-12th November.
The delegation, led by West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, will visit Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi to promote opportunities for bilateral trade and investment between India, the West Midlands, and the wider UK.
The trade mission seeks to cement existing economic ties between India’s sub-regions and the West Midlands. Senior representatives will explore potential partnerships in areas including emerging digital technologies, low carbon mobility and data-driven healthcare, with the common objective of creating more prosperous communities in both the UK and in India.
The West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) and partners including the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), have organised a series of meetings and events which will bring together senior figures from leading Indian businesses. These include multinational manufacturer Tata Group, motorcycle manufacturer TVS, automotive manufacturing group Mahindra & Mahindra, low carbon transport manufacturer Switch Mobility, business service provider Firstsource and Air India. The UK delegation will visit a number of key industry hubs, including Hyderabad-based T-Hub and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
Alongside Mayor Andy Street, the delegation will be led by Councillor Ian Brookfield, Leader of Wolverhampton City Council and include senior representatives from the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC); the Department for International Trade (DIT); the University of Birmingham; Warwick Manufacturing Group; Birmingham Airport; Birmingham City University; Bruntwood; Kagool; Birmingham Repertory Theatre, the Manufacturing Technology Centre and the British Kabaddi League. The delegation will be supported on the ground by Alan Gemmell, His Majesty's Trade Commissioner for South Asia and the British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India; Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner; and Andrew Fleming, Deputy High Commissioner in Hyderabad.
With a ‘living bridge’ of nearly 200,000 ethnic Indians living and working in the region, the West Midlands and India already enjoy a strong relationship, rooted in a shared cultural heritage and strong economic links. India is the UK’s second largest source of investment in terms of number of projects, and the West Midlands represents a significant portion of Indian FDI into the UK, with 57% of Indian investment into the UK in 2020 located in the West Midlands.
The region has already attracted some of India’s biggest companies, including Tata Motors, State Bank of India, Infosys, OLA, Enzen Global, Suprajit Group, Elder Pharmaceuticals, Microland, BSA, Switch Mobility and Firstsource.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “As the UK seeks to deepen our relationship with India through a Free Trade Agreement, we are delighted to be meeting the Indian business community to showcase why the West Midlands is the ideal investment destination for high-growth, tech-driven Indian companies.
“The West Midlands has been the UK region of choice for India’s trail-blazing companies across automotive, manufacturing and technology, due to our world-leading R&D infrastructure, industrial ecosystem, and wealth of specialist talent. There is now an opportunity for the West Midlands and India to collaborate even more closely to advance new technologies and innovations, in particular to support the green transition, benefitting both our societies and economies.”
