UKIBC Congratulates Mr Johnson on becoming Prime Minister
By UK India Business Council (UKIBC)
The UK India Business Council wishes to congratulate Mr Johnson on his appointment as Prime Minister today, and we look forward to working with him and his team through the UK-India CEO Forum to strengthen the UK-India partnership.
Mr Johnson knows India well and has been a regular visitor. As such, we hope that he follows the example of his predecessors – David Cameron and Theresa May, and make India his first official international bilateral visit.
Such a commitment would underline the importance of the UK-India relationship, and highlight to the world’s fastest growing large economy that the UK is open for business. It will also highlight to UK businesses the growing opportunities in India for those wishing to export and those wishing to invest.
A new Government administration in the UK gives further opportunity to quickly ‘re-awaken’ UK-India ties as outlined in the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) report published just last month.
As the report, the UKIBC’s evidence to the FAC, and our oral evidence to the APPG on International Students highlight, we believe that reforming limits the movement of people, particularly skilled temporary workers and students, would constitute a major boost to UK-India ties and to the UK economy.
We would also encourage the UK Government to play a direct role in negotiating international defence contracts. India is signalling major investment in the defence sector including in equipment, aircraft, and aircraft carriers – all where UK businesses have much to offer India.
However, the Indian Government want to negotiate deals at a G2G level, a model which the UK Government has not traditionally engaged in. Making the most of our UK-India Defence MoU signed last year, we hope the UK Government will be able to take this important step towards negotiation defence contracts on a G2G platform.
There is huge opportunity for the incoming Government to take UK-India ties to the next level and the UK India Business Council looks forward to working closely with Prime Minister Johnson and his Cabinet to facilitate business success.
