UK India Business Council (UKIBC) British Business Centres

By Kealan Finnegan

Lord Green announces UKIBC as lead body in the transformation of business to business support in India. First centre to open in Delhi in Autumn 2013; Mumbai to follow soon after UK Trade & Investment Minister, Lord Green, today announced that the government would invest over £1.1million in a new, business-led pan-India network of British Business Centres. This is part of a global initiative to strengthen British business networks in 20 overseas markets.

Speaking at the UK Trade & Investment, Foreign & Commonwealth Office and British Chambers International forum in London today, Lord Green said: “I am pleased to announce today, that following the Prime Minister’s recent visit to India, we have agreed to support the setting-up of a new business-led pan-India network of British business centres led by the UK-India Business Council and supported by the British business groups in India.”

The UK India Business Council will lead this initiative in India, to open six business centres by 2017. The initiative has been widely welcomed by the British business community in India, in particular, by the British Business Groups (BBG) who are offering their support in the development of the centres. The Centres are designed to transform the quantity and quality of support available to British businesses, especially SMEs, seeking to enter or expand in India.

This follows the PM’s visit to India last month when he was accompanied by the largest
business delegation ever taken by a British PM to any market.

Patricia Hewitt, Chair, UK India Business Council, welcomed the initiative. She said, “I am delighted that the Government has asked UKIBC to lead the transformation of business support in India. India’s growth is an opportunity, not a threat, for Britain. The more British businesses that trade, invest and innovate with Indian partners, the more we will create jobs, growth and prosperity at home.”

Ambitious plans are afoot to ensure that business supports business to succeed in India. Within the first 12 months, UKIBC will open its first two business centres in New Delhi and Mumbai. It will offer a range of accredited services to UK companies, including market research and advice on what works in India, incubation services for UK companies entering India, ancillary support services, hot desking and meeting facilities, support for delegations, and networking and mentoring by British business leaders with expertise in India.

Richard Heald, CEO, UK India Business Council said, “The UKIBC welcomes the Prime Minister’s decision to launch business centres in India and looks forward to building on its range of services in India in years to come.”

He added, “It’s a very exciting as well as challenging project. Over the next few months, the Board of UKIBC India, led by Patricia, and myself will recruit a Managing Director domiciled in India to lead a team with strong Indian sectoral and commercial experience. Within a year we would have opened two centres. And by 2017, we aim to open six centres, creating a pan-India network. These centres and services aim to build on the existing strong UKIBC, UKTI and BBG platforms, and create a significantly higher level of UK-India business engagement, providing UK businesses the additional support they need to succeed in India. Within three years, the majority of UKIBC staff will be based in India.”

Meanwhile, in the UK, the UKIBC will continue to raise awareness of the India opportunity, provide pre-entry training; manage projects on specific opportunities and themes, support JETCO secretariat. It will also recruit and support business delegations and market the UKIBC India services, including over social media.

The initiative has the full support of the UK government with UKTI underpinning the new operation with seed investment. Private sector funding will also be sought with the aim of creating a business-led, business backed, government supported organisation by 2017. In time, UKTI plans to transfer most of its in-country SME support activities to the UKIBC India.
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For more information contact either Ishara Callan (ishara.callan@ukibc.com, 020 7592 3045), Adam Pollard (adam.pollard@UKIBC.com, 020 7592 3045), or Jenny Runnacles (jrunnacles@apcoworldwide.com, 020 7526 3601)

Notes to Editors:

1. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI): UKTI is the government department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. It also help overseas companies bring their high quality investment to the UK’s economy – acknowledged as Europe’s best place from which to succeed in global business. UKTI offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK, and in British embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world.
2. The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) is the premier business-led organisation promoting bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. Its mission is to facilitate an increase in trade between the UK and India through business to business dialogue. UKIBC plays an influential role in creating and sustaining an environment in which free-trade and investment flourishes. Through the facilitation of partnerships, and with an extensive network of influential corporate and individual members, UKIBC provides the resource, knowledge and infrastructure support vital for UK companies to make the most of emerging opportunities in India. For further information please visit www.UKIBC.com
3. BBG: BBG is a forum for British and Indian companies and individuals to meet, exchange ideas and network in friendly and informal surroundings
4. The India Business Centres initiative has the full support of the UK government with UKTI underpinning the new operation with £1.1M seed investment in year one followed by a further possible funding. Private sector
funding will also be sought with the aim of creating an 80% private sector funded organisation by 2017. In time, UKTI plans to transfer most of its in-country SME support activities to the UKIBC India.

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