As seen on UK’s official government website:
Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit to India from 6 to 8 November 2016 resulted in over £1 billion worth of deals between UK and Indian companies.
The Prime Minister used the visit to deliver on the ambitious vision for Britain after Brexit forging a new global role for the UK as a country with the self-confidence and the freedom to look beyond the continent of Europe.
The Prime Minister said:
Leaving the European Union presents us with a world of opportunities and I’m determined to seize them. That’s why I went to India to deliver on global Britain and I have to say that the response I’ve had here in India has been excellent. This is my first trade mission but we’ve seen on this visit deals worth a billion pounds being signed.
We have an agreement with the Indian government to work with them on our trade relationship. What that means is more trade for British businesses, more jobs and investment in the UK and that’s good for the whole country.
A number of commercial deals were signed during the visit, creating and securing jobs at home and demonstrating market confidence in the strength of the British economy following the EU referendum vote.
Firstsource Solutions, which has 7 centres across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is adding 1,000 staff over the next 6 months. The Business Process Management company already employs 4,000 people in the UK. The firm also recently opened a centre in Warrington employing 250 people.
With approximately 1.5 million people of Indian origin in the UK, the Indian diaspora plays a vital role in our national life. India is now our second largest international job creator – last year, India created 7,105 new jobs in Britain through 140 projects, and in total Indian companies currently employ over 100,000 people in the UK. We have unique ties between our 2 countries, and there is enormous potential to grow.
The Prime Minister visited 2 cities in India, starting with the capital New Delhi, where she inaugurated the India-UK TECH Summit alongside Prime Minister Modi. The TECH Summit, South Asia’s largest technology conference, provide a platform for promoting technology-intensive trade between the 2 countries.
Related coverage:
- £1 billion in deals from PM’s trade mission to India – C-Suite – Nov 10 2016
