Indian Business Delegation Visits UK to Boost Ties

A Multi-product business delegation from India representing a wide cross-section of business sectors visited the United Kingdom from May 20-24th, 2019. The Consulate General of India in Birmingham facilitated three major events at Manchester and Birmingham on this occasion. From the Indian side, the visit was organised by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), which is the apex export promotion organisation of India, jointly established by the Ministry of Commerce of the Government of India and private trade and industry. The 15 member Indian delegation led by Mr. Manish Sharma – Deputy Director, FIEO and comprising of 11 Indian companies in various sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals, electric bicycles, automotive & machinery parts, rubber & wood products, product for petrochemical, oil, gas, nuclear industries, food products and home decor, visited London, Manchester and Birmingham during their stay in the United Kingdom. The objective of the delegation was to meet potential buyers, distributors, participate in site visits and build mutually beneficial, profitable business relations. The delegation sought to engage local companies in B2B and B2G meetings to explore opportunities of investment and joint ventures and also worked towards identifying partners to expand business operations. It may be mentioned that FIEO has been serving as a platform for promoting Indian trade with the world and has been serving as a platform of interaction between exporters and policy makers. During their visit to the North of the UK, the delegation visited Manchester on 22nd May 2019, where the Consulate General of India, Birmingham supported by the Yorkshire Asian Business Association (YABA), organised a round of B2B meetings for which nearly 20 local business houses in and around Manchester expressed interest. The function was attended among others by Canon Keith Madeley MBE, Head of Corporate Relationships, YABA, Judy Hart, Chief Executive - Investors In Excellence Ltd., Rajeev Dewedi – Senior Partner, Shenward and Sharon Jandu, Managing Director - YABA. The incoming delegation members held fruitful discussions with their counterparts during the course of the B2B engagement which took place in a posh upmarket venue in central Manchester. In the second leg of their visit, the Indian delegation visited Birmingham on 23-24th May 2019. The Indian Consulate General in Birmingham supported by the State Bank of India, UK (SBI UK) organised a curtain raiser networking dinner reception at a prestigious hotel in Birmingham on 23rd May 2019. This SBI UK sponsored event was attended by more than 60 prominent dignitaries from in and around the city. Notable attendees included, Ms. Beverley Lindsay - Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Dr. Aman Puri – Consul General of India, Satyendra Kumar Singh – CEO, SBI UK, Keith Stokes-Smith – President, Greater Birmingham Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce (GBCCC), Craig Humphrey – Managing Director, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP). The invitees included heads of nearly 20 large & medium reputed business houses of the UK. Significant networking activities took place between the visiting Indian delegation and the local business stakeholders during the event. The concluding day-long engagement of the visiting Indian delegation in Birmingham commenced with a B2B meet-up on May 24th, 2019 at the premises of Birmingham City University (BCU). The India Innovation centre of BCU took active interest in hosting the event from their premises. The event was promoted by the CWLEP and Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC). In addition to the visiting Indian delegation, more than 40 business entities participated in the event and held productive discussions and intense networking. Local business houses from the food, automobile, printing, manufacturing, electric bikes, engineering, rubber and wood and textile sectors were present on the occasion. The five day visit by the FIEO delegation concluded with an engagement with the Leicester City Council where officials from the Inward-Investment department of the Leicester City Council took part in a post-lunch meeting with the Indian delegation members with a view to draw bridges between East-Midlands and India.