The UK and India are natural partners, with a longstanding friendship rooted in shared history, deep cultural and people-to-people links, democratic values and common interests.
Our government firmly believes that whoever you are, whatever your background, if you want to work hard and get on in life, we will be on your side.
The talented, vibrant and engaged Indian diaspora in the UK are a great showcase.As I mark my second anniversary as the UK’s Indian Diaspora Champion and through my travels in India, I have had the honour of meeting with a wide range of the Indian community both at home and abroad. As Employment Minister, I see the enduring contribution that the Indian community make to our country day in, day out. The employment rate for this diaspora has never been higher, which is testament to their hard work and ambition.
Strengthening our bonds with India will build on this success for both our great nations. That is why I am delighted to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Sri Modi to the UK as we come together to deepen our existing ties in business, education, security, culture and much more - and to celebrate the Indian community who are integral to British life.
As Prime Minister Modi has said, India’s engagement with the UK is an “unbeatable combination” that can bring immense benefits to both our countries.
This is the first official visit to the UK by an Indian Prime Minister in almost ten years, marking the beginning of a new era in our relationship – made even more special by the visit coinciding with Diwali.
Prime Minister Modi has ambitious and exciting plans for India and the UK has the investment, expertise and skills to help turn this vision into a reality.
With India’s ever-growing influence on the global stage, we are looking at how increasing economic and trade links can help create more jobs locally to help build a highly skilled workforce.London hosts the most important financial centre in the world, which is an opportunity for India as it seeks the investment to grow, creating jobs and the infrastructure for sustainable and inclusive development.
Already the UK is the largest G20 investor in India, with British companies creating one in every twenty jobs in the Indian private sector.We are also the country of choice for Indian businesses cementing our economic and cultural links. India became the UK’s third largest jobs creator last year and invested more in the UK than it did in the rest of the 27 European Union countries combined.India wants to get into the top 50 of the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Ranking for which we can share our experience.
The UK also offers the best education in the world and we can share our expertise in boosting the skills for the next generation to help meet the opportunities presented by a growing economy.
I am delighted that I had the opportunity to meet with my Indian counterpart earlier this year and pledge our joint commitment to reducing the number of people not in education, employment or training in India and the UK by 15% over the next ten years.Britain is a global leader and we will stand shoulder to shoulder with India in reaching its aspirations and ambitions.
I am truly excited about what the future holds for the UK-India partnership. By building on our successful collaboration, our two great nations will have one glorious future together.
