UKIBC to open its next Business Centre in Bangalore in first half of 2014

UK India Business Council ("UKIBC") plans to open its next UK India Business Centre in Bangalore in the first half of 2014. This decision has been taken based on the support received from UK trade and business bodies and the needs of UK companies active in Bangalore and South India.

Announcing the Bangalore initiative, Richard Heald, CEO, UKIBC said, “The UK India Business Centre in Bangalore will build on the format of the UK India Business Centre in Gurgaon, which was successfully launched today. It will work closely with the recently launched British Business Group (BBG) in Bangalore, with the UKTI and with both UK and Indian businesses and institutions. The Centre will include a “store-in-store” concept and industry mentoring hubs to provide real-time support to companies across sectors”.

The UKIBC has the full support for its plans from the Deputy High Commission in Bangalore, the UKTI and from the British Council in India, as well as of Bangalore based members of the UKIBC Advisory Council – Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chair and Managing Director of Biocon Limited and T.V. Mohandas Pai, Chairman of Manipal Global Education and former Member of the Board of Directors of Infosys.

Mr Ian Felton, Deputy High Commissioner, Bangalore said. “Bangalore is one of the future faces of India – hi tech, cosmopolitan and global in outlook. It is a great place for British – Indian collaboration in science, innovation, trade and cultural relations. I am delighted that the UKIBC has chosen Bangalore for its next business centre. Working closely together we will add even greater value to the expanding UK India trade relationship.

UK government is already engaged with the State to work on initiatives such as co-funding UK start-ups with KITVEN Fund (Karnataka Information Technology Venture Capital Fund), connecting UK and Indian innovative technology companies via IP Bridge and developing incubation linkage for entrepreneurs.

Ms Mazumdar-Shaw said, “The UK is extremely rich in innovation and research across all sciences, specifically Biotechnology and Life Sciences. The eco-system that the UK offers through research institutes, innovative companies and large scientific pool, fits very well with what Indian companies need at this stage. India is moving ahead rapidly in the value chain from being an outsourcing and low-cost destination to a valuable partner through co-development and risk sharing models. I am delighted that UKIBC is opening their next Business Centre in Bangalore. I support this Centre in focussing on British and Indian companies grow as partners in the field of innovation and R&D across opportunities in the growing Indian economy.”

The Centre will be supporting initiatives like Karnataka ICT Group 2020, of which Mohandas Pai is the Chairman, which is working towards building on the current success the IT industry in the State by supporting 1000 start-ups, and increasing the IT workforce from 800,000 in 2012 to 2,000,000 by 2020).

The concepts, scope and location of the UK India Business Centre in Bangalore will be developed closely with a number of UK institutions including the Tech Hub UK, a unique London headquartered environment where technology startups can start up faster, ADS, the premier trade organisation advancing the UK Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space industries and the recently announced Bangalore Cambridge Innovation Network- driving deeper engagement and commercial activity between technology companies in the Cambridge and Bangalore ecosystems as well as UKIBC members including AcceleratorIndia, Augusta Westland, BAe, PA Consulting and Rolls Royce PLC.

Commenting on the plans to open the UKIBC Centre in Bangalore, Andrew Tibbitts, Global Projects Director, said, “We are delighted UKIBC will open its next Centre in Bangalore. British businesses, especially in the technology sector, already recognise Bangalore for its excellent talent pool and we are excited about working with UKIBC to forge stronger links between Indian and British companies. Our work with UKIBC will make it significantly easier for innovative startups to enter the Indian market as they grow. We also look forward to working closely with Indian technology companies looking to expand into Europe.”

Heald, added, “We had tremendous interest in Bangalore from UK companies, our members and stakeholders. Bangalore – fifth largest Indian city – has a GDP of $83 billion and a leader in technology and innovation. It benefits from direct connectivity to the UK. Not only do we have leading British firms Rolls Royce, BAe, Tesco, ARM, HSBC, Aviva operating here, we also have Bangalore based companies such as Wipro, Infosys, Biocon well established in the UK. Bangalore talented workforce, research institutions and innovation are of particular interest to UK firms.”

The UK India Business Centre in Bangalore will provide a home-from-home for UK business in the important city, in Karnataka and across the region. The UK India Business Centres are designed to transform the quantity and quality of support available to British businesses, especially SMEs, seeking to enter or expand in India. UKIBC’s team of India-specialists is client-focused and committed to providing a range of practical market-entry services and world-class facilities.

In planning its entry strategy into Bangalore, the UKIBC will continue to work with its Indian Real Estate Partner, Pacific Business Centres, so as to replicate the efficient speed of travel achieved in the opening of the UK India Business Centre in Gurgaon.

The United Kingdom is the third largest investor in India with a total FDI inflow of US $17.6 billion, equalling 9 per cent of the total FDI inflow, between April 2000 and June 2013. In 2012 bilateral trade was £15.4 billion. By opening UK India Business Centres, the UKIBC aims to enhance UK-India bilateral trade and make it easier for British businesses, particularly SMEs, to enter India.

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Notes to Editors

For more info contact Ishara.Callan@ukibc.com 0207 592 3045 or Adam.pollard@ukibc.com 0207592 3850

About Bangalore Bangalore is the State capital of Karnataka and is widely known as the Tech Hub of India. The short corridor between Bangalore and Chennai the State capital of Tamil Nadu is called the Silicon Valley of India.Advanced Engineering, particularly Aerospace, IT and ITes, Electronics and Lifesciences are key business sectors of the economies of both of States. For the UK economy, this is a natural fit as it excels in these sectors – particularly in the upstream innovative areas. Moreover, trade between UK and India in these areas is increasing.

ADS: the premier trade organisation advancing the UK Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space industries

TECH HUB: TechHub was founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Varley and Mike Butcher, TechHub is a growing community of over 1000 tech entrepreneurs and a network of spaces for startups. It offers flexible workspace facilities, events, workshops, advice sessions, contacts, PR and press opportunities and an important tech industry network. TechHub London has two sites in Shoreditch’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ with one opening on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2014, and has additional sites in Manchester, Riga in Latvia and Bucharest in Romania. Further new TechHub cities will be announced by the end of 2013 as part of the company’s global expansion. TechHub has launched a Bangalore microsite at www.techhub.com for those keen to find out more or get involved

BCIN is driving deeper engagement and commercial activity between technology companies in the Cambridge and Bangalore ecosystems. It’s stakeholders include the University of Cambridge, The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B), Indian Institute of Science (IISC) the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and AcceleratorIndia

KICT GROUP 2020: Karnataka ICT Group 2020, of which Mohandas Pai is the Chairman, is working towards building on the current success the IT industry in the State by supporting 1000 start-ups, and increasing the IT workforce from 800,000 in 2012 to 2,000,000 by 2020).

UK INDIA BUSINESS COUNCIL: UK India Business Council is the premier business-led organisation promoting bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. Our 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.

UK India Business Centre: The Centre comprising 7,200 sq ft is located in Infinity Towers, Cyber City, Gurgaon and will act as the “hub” within the important North Central economic region in India. We also have a 600 sq ft “spoke” in Connaught Place, Central Delhi. 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.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) in India is working with the Karnataka ICT Group on three important initiatives.

– Incubation Linkage: UKTI will work towards developing and delivering mentoring programmes for entrepreneurs in Bangalore who have a UK linkage. UKTI will do so in collaboration with National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) – the industry body for Indian software industry and with the recently established Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS) which has set up an incubator in Bangalore. This will be a link between startups in London in Tech city and the Bangalore Incubator.

– Linkage for “IP Bridge”: The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IITB) is building an ESDM (Electronic System Design and Manufacturing) Innovation Centre in Bangalore. The IP Bridge one of the major components of the Innovation Centre – it looks to develop IP bridge linkages between India and other countries. UKTI is actively working with IIITB and has already initiated a few discussions to connect UK and Indian innovative technology companies.

– Startups in Karnataka: UKTI is also looking to work with the Karnataka Information Technology Venture Capital Fund (KITVEN Fund). Under this agreement, KITVEN will consider co-funding UK start-ups with capital that set up a base in Karnataka. KITVEN is a State & Central Government financial institution backed Venture Capital Fund (VCF) operating in the State of Karnataka since 1999.