The delegation is headed by His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia Harjinder Kang, Deputy Trade Commissioner for South Asia Jaya Chordia and Trade Counsellor Mark Birrell. It includes three Cabinet ministers, seven mayors and around 200 businesses, universities and organisations, making it one of the largest UK trade delegations to visit India.
Officials accompanying the delegation said communities across the UK and India are expected to benefit from more than £1 billion in new deals. The recently implemented FTA is expected to generate an additional £25 billion in annual bilateral trade over the long term, supported by tariff reductions and provisions intended to ease business mobility.
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Jonathan Reynolds said the agreement had established a platform for deeper regional and business engagement.
“Our trade deal with India opened the door, and now regional businesses are walking through it with our northern Mayors leading the way in building partnerships to drive jobs, investment and growth,” Reynolds said.
Speaking to the media, Reynolds said the initial response from businesses participating in the delegation had been encouraging.
“People are telling me on the delegation, that they're making the links, if anything, realising the opportunities are even greater than they thought before they came out,” he said.
Reynolds identified advanced manufacturing, life sciences, sport and culture as sectors offering significant potential for collaboration. He also emphasised the importance of partnerships at the state level to ensure businesses on the ground benefit from the trade agreement.
Highlighting Maharashtra’s business ecosystem, infrastructure development and fintech sector, Reynolds said these areas offered opportunities for cooperation. He added that the partnership could provide a blueprint for engagement with other parts of India.
Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig said her visit was driven by opportunities to secure investment and create business prospects on both sides.
Greater Manchester is targeting collaboration in life sciences, digital technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, financial and professional services, and advanced materials.
Craig highlighted ongoing engagement with Indian companies, including Tata Consultancy Services, Hexaware, Infosys and Keva, alongside opportunities for university partnerships and business-to-business deals. She said businesses accompanying the delegation were already reporting progress in their discussions.
“Greater Manchester is a very practical region. We're known for getting stuff done and delivering, not just talking about it,” Craig said.
She said the objective was to establish sustained commercial relationships that could attract more Indian businesses to Greater Manchester while helping British companies establish a presence in India.
Craig also highlighted opportunities in sport and culture, with the delegation scheduled to meet the RPSG Group in Kolkata. The group’s interests in Manchester Super Giants and Lancashire Cricket Club offer a potential platform for further collaboration between the two markets.
Kim McGuinness, Strategic Authority Mayor of the North East, said the trade agreement had improved conditions for businesses seeking to expand internationally.
Her delegation is focusing on green industries, including a carbon-neutral concrete provider and a company developing paper-thin solar panels, both of which are exploring opportunities in India. Finance, digital technology and other emerging sectors also feature in the region’s trade agenda.
Supporting small businesses seeking to enter new markets is another key priority for the North East.
“As Mayors, we provide the links for our businesses to come, do introductions to like-minded businesses,” McGuinness said.
She also highlighted the role of the UK government in encouraging Indian authorities to provide similar support to businesses.
“We know that this is the start of building relationships and not the end,” she said.
McGuinness added that businesses might need more than one visit to turn initial discussions into investments, underscoring the importance of continued engagement between the two markets.
Craig and McGuinness said specific investment and p
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