This month London is set to showcase its status as a world-class city like never before.
Four globally significant events are taking place right here in our city: the inaugural SXSW London, the 2025 Concordia Europe Summit, London Tech Week, and London Climate Action Week. Between them, they’ll draw thousands of business leaders, tech pioneers, cultural creatives and policymakers from around the world.
What does this mean for Londoners and particularly British Asian entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers?
It means opportunity. Economic opportunity. Investment opportunity. Opportunity to connect, create, and lead.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has rightly championed this moment. He has reflected how London is the engine of the UK economy.
Recent figures show that London & Partners, the Mayor’s official growth agency, secured over £677 million in trade and investment last year alone. Over 5,000 new jobs were created as a direct result, alongside nearly £60 million generated from international events.
London’s total economic output in 2023 was an astonishing £531 billion, which is more than a fifth of the UK’s entire economy. These upcoming events are fuelling long-term prosperity.
For British Asian communities, many of whom have deep ties to sectors like technology, hospitality and small businesses, this growth is more than symbolic. It’s a chance to shape the future economy in a way that reflects our creativity, resilience, global outlook and strong sense of community.
It’s also worth noting that this boom comes at a time when the UK, under a new Government, is reasserting itself on the world stage. We've seen the fastest growth in the G7, and landmark trade deals with India, the US, and the European Union.
The recent UK–India Trade Deal marks a major milestone, eliminating or reducing tariffs on 90% of UK exports and 99% of Indian imports. This will benefit sectors like textiles and technology. It will boost trade by an estimated £25.5 billion annually by 2040. UK businesses gain access to India’s £38 billion public procurement market, and mobility provisions will strengthen cultural and professional ties. The deal represents a bold step towards deeper economic cooperation, with significant gains for British Asian entrepreneurs and global-facing businesses across London and beyond.
The UK-EU deal is also a step towards healing the economic wounds left by Brexit. Mayor Sadiq Khan has welcomed the agreement, pointing out its potential to lower living costs, support job creation, and even simplify European travel through the return of e-gate access.
London is open. And London’s diversity is helping drive that. I encourage everyone to get involved where they can and take every possible opportunity.
