Royal Navy leading the way towards closer ties
are doing together on innovation and technology – so not just investment – is huge,” he said.
“We’re trying to get our startups working together, that’s huge too.
“Investment has been streamlined. Our India access programme is being run in UK to help British SMES increase balance sheets and access to market opportunities, and we’re working closely on an
Indian fast-track mechanism with the UK’S Department of International Trade. “A foreign-owned telecoms company enters India and can have 36 million customers in 30 months. It’s almost unreal.” India’s economic boom has seen major changes across its population of 1.3 billion people. It boasts the second largest population to have internet access – 661 million (the largest to speak English). And two in three who join the internet every second are from the country’s villages. Mr Jaishankar said: “For the last 25 years someone in Delhi could tell you their life gets better year on year, but if you go to villages now the difference is how this change is affecting remote areas, changing the lives of people who once watched this pass them by.”
Mr Bagla added: “More than a billion citizens now have bank accounts.
“We had 133 million first-time voters in recent elections. They have the same aspirations as somebody in London and New York and they want it now.”
All this bodes well for the economic opportunities awaiting Britain after a trade deal, said Richard Mccallum, vice chairman of the UK India Business Council. He said: “There’s a huge amount of momentum and positivity around this relationship. The response from industry, from the government of India and the UK reflects that.
“The future of the relationship has to be about enabling tech and hardware transfer to India, co-creating and codeveloping equipment and technology in India, making in India and exporting to third markets from India together.”
BRITAIN’S aircraft carriers are to provide a crucial “anchor” for closer ties with India before trade negotiations even begin, writes Defence Editor Marco Giannangeli.
The Indian government has expressed enthusiasm for using British expertise behind the Royal Navy’s new Elizabeth class aircraft carriers for its own vessel.
HMS Queen Elizabeth is already set to focus on the Indian Ocean in its maiden voyage next year to tackle the regional scourge of drug smuggling and illicit trade.
It will collaborate with India’s carrier group in bilateral maritime security exercises.
A separate arrangement has been struck to permanently attach a senior Royal Navy officer to the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre in Gurgaon.the facility will strengthen maritime security by sharing information on vessels of interest with other friendly nations.
India and Britain are exploring various options for collaboration on joint defence projects.
Last week more than 30 UK firms attended India’s biggest defence fair where it was announced that both nations are on the verge of signing a government-to-government agreement to jointly develop a new jet engine.
James Heappey, Minister for Defence Procurement, said: “The UK and India have much to offer one another in defence research, development and training.
“I am delighted we are establishing government-to-government contracting to encourage collaboration, co-operation and partnerships across our two defence industries.”
‘The UK and India have much to offer one another’