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Sajid Javid visits Delhi to celebrate the UK and India’s 'Unbeatable Combination'

The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, will visit New Delhi,11 September 2015.

The Secretary of State is visiting to attend the annual ‘UK India Business Convention’, which will also be attended by Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry. Javid will stress the British government’s commitment to increasing trade and investment between the UK and India.

This year’s Convention is expected to be the largest ever, with over 600 delegates, international business leaders, and senior ministers from the UK and India participating in three days of events.

Sajid Javid said:

The United Kingdom and India are unique, indispensible partners, contributing greatly to each other’s growth and prosperity. The Sterling Assets report, launched by my colleague Lord Maude today, highlights the UK’s contribution to the Indian economy, which included the fact that UK companies creating one in every 20 jobs in India’s organised private sector.

We are in Mr Modi’s own words, an ‘unbeatable combination’. The UK has the expertise and resources to support many of the Indian government’s most important priorities, for example developing smart cities, science and innovation, green energy and improving the ease of doing business. Everyone is excited about Mr Modi’s visit to the UK later this year, where he can be assured of a first-class welcome.

Organised by the UK India Business Council, with UK Trade and Investment, the British Business Groups, and UK Export Finance, the India UK Business Convention will take place between the 10 and 12 September and will celebrate the strength of the India UK trade relationship.

During the visit, Javid will launch the application window for the Chevening Rolls Royce Science and Innovation Leadership Fellowship (CRISP) for 2016, a programme aimed at mid-career professionals in the fields of science, innovation and business from India and Sri Lanka, jointly funded between the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Rolls Royce. The fellowship offers 12 senior science and innovation professionals with links to public policy, an 11-week study programme at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School.

He will launch the British Council’s Alumni Awards which honours the outstanding achievements made by business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders across the globe who have demonstrated how their UK education has contributed to their subsequent success.

The Secretary of State will also meet senior management of the leading IT Services Company HCL Technologies, who recently announced a digital transformation partnership with Manchester United. As part of this partnership, HCL and Manchester United will work together to find new ways of connecting with club’s 659 million global followers.

Sajid Javid will end his day in New Delhi by attending an event at the British High Commissioner’s residence, where he will launch the British Food Festival in partnership with Godrej Nature’s Basket’s 36 outlets across India. The event will also celebrate the heritage of Scotch whisky.

For media queries, please contact:

Stuart Adam, Head,
Press and Communications
British High Commission, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi 110021
Tel: 44192100; Fax: 24192411

Mail to: Jagori Dhar

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Published 10 September 2015