Policy paper

UK-India Memorandums of Understanding and agreements

Published 18 April 2018

On 18 April 2018 the UK and India announced a wide range of new initiatives and agreements across technology, trade and investment and as global forces for good. Increased joint co-operation in these areas will help both our countries prosper.

MoUs and agreements between the UK government and government of India

1. A framework for the UK-India Cyber Relationship, committing to a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace; and co-operation in exchange of information and strategies for effective cyber security incident management and threat response.

2. An MoU on Co-operation and Exchange of Information for the Purposes of Combating International Criminality and Tackling Serious Organised Crime, to establish a mechanism for the exchange of criminal records, immigration records and intelligence.

3. An MoU to strengthen institutional co-operation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development, to include business engagement, programme and project design, access to finance, knowledge exchange and research and innovation, to build on existing co-operation on the Smart Cities Mission.

4. An MoU for co-operation in sustainable management of water resources in the Ganga Basin through collaborative programmes of research, innovation and policy exchange between the National Mission for Clean Ganga, India, and Natural Environmental Research Council, UK

5. An MoU on Skill Development, Vocational education and Training to promote collaboration and capacity-building.

6. An MoU to enhance co-operation on livestock husbandry, fisheries and agro-forestry.

7. An Addendum to the Newton-Bhabha MoU to extend co-operation to include joint research in humanities and social sciences.

8. An arrangement between the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board of India and the Office for Nuclear Regulation of Great Britain for information exchange and co-operation on the regulation of safe nuclear energy use for peaceful purposes.

9. A Statement of Intent to explore technology co-operation in areas such as electric vehicles, AI, FinTech, and advanced manufacturing, as well as utilizing AI, big data and analytics capability for evidence-based policy making, between the National Institute for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), India, and UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Non-governmental MoU

1. An MoU between the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and College of Medicine to set up a Centre of Excellence in Ayurveda and traditional Indian medicine.

India-UK Tech initiatives

1. UK-India Tech Alliance: NASSCOM and TechUK have set up a Tech CEO Alliance which will bring together 10 CEOs from five British and five Indian major tech firms for industry-to-industry dialogue on digital skills, future business growth and collective challenges and opportunities.

2. Technology Summit II: The UK and India announced the Technology Summit II, which will be held in autumn 2018. The Summit will bring together the greatest UK and Indian tech innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs and policy makers to work together to scope and design solutions to challenges including the governance of future tech.

3. AI and Digital Healthcare: The UK and India announced that as partners in the next generation of healthcare, they will collaborate on digital health pilots in India’s Aspirational Health Districts by applying UK evidence-based healthcare AI and technology to strengthen healthcare delivery. These pilots will be carried out in the areas of self-care, primary, secondary and tertiary care, including eye care, diabetes and cancer.

UK tech-initiatives in India

1. UK-India Tech Hub: The UK announced the creation of a UK-India Tech Hub. Based in the British High Commission in New Delhi the Tech Hub will include a network of people and programmes designed to facilitate ideas, investment and prosperity for India and the UK. It will focus on the fastest growing sectors, including: cyber security, AI/data, future mobility, digital manufacturing, healthcare, electric vehicles and digital identity.

2. UK-India Tech Cluster Partnerships: The Tech Cluster partnerships will link world-leading centres of excellence; enable shared innovation and technology exchange; create landing pads for Indian companies in the UK and UK companies in India to drive investment and trade and create high value jobs and build UK and Indian productivity.

3. Advanced Manufacturing Centre: The UK announced the potential establishment of an Advanced Manufacturing Centre. Such a centre would support respective industrial strategies and in turn drive growth and jobs in both countries. It would also support our regional partnerships that are at the heart of our Technology Partnership.

4. FinTech Rocketship Awards: The UK announced the launch of the FinTech Rocketship Awards, a unique, first-of-its-kind FinTech mentoring programme, led by India and the UK’s top FinTech mentors. In the first year, at least 20 FinTech entrepreneurs from each country will be given the opportunity to experience respective ecosystems and pitch for investment.

Trade, investment and finance

1. Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF): The UK and India launched the fund that will leverage City finance to invest in India’s growth, announcing Eversource Capital, a joint venture between Lightsource BP and Everstone Group, as the Green Growth Equity Fund Manager. An initial investment of £240m from both governments will catalyse additional City finance for green projects in India and UK companies will be able to bid for infrastructure projects financed by the Fund. The Fund will invest in renewable energy, clean transportation, water and waste management in India as part of India’s flagship National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). UK and India contributions are investments that will generate returns for each country.

2. UK-India Dialogue on Investment: The UK and India announced a Dialogue on Investment to improve our mutual understanding of priorities and review future opportunities for co-operation

3. Sector targeting roadmap: The UK and India have agreed to work together on a sector-based roadmap to address trade barriers in life sciences, food and drink and IT sectors.

4. UK-India multilateral trade dialogue: The UK and India will take forward a dialogue under the Joint Working Group on Trade, which will support a shared commitment to the global rules-based system and to the WTO’s role in underpinning it.

5. Fast Track Mechanism: The UK and India announced a mechanism to support Indian investments into the UK.

6. Commitment to transition EU-India Third Country Agreements: The UK and India announced that this commitment will ensure continued application to the UK of EU-India Agreements during the Implementation Period following the UK’s departure from the EU, and put in place arrangements to replicate relevant EU-India agreements beyond this period.

7. UK-India Fintech Dialogue: The UK and India established a FinTech dialogue to discuss further opportunities for financial services collaboration, including a proposed new regulatory co-operation agreement.

Global force for good

1. International Solar Alliance: The UK signed the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance and became the 62nd signatory member country. The UK also expressed its commitment to the continued advocacy of ISAs aims and objectives.

2. Research and Development: The UK and India will continue their world-leading research relationship, generating new knowledge and innovations that feed the world’s hungry (high yield crops), protect our environment (clean energy), save lives (advanced healthcare) and drive economic inclusion (digital services).