Lord Mayor’s visit highlights strength of UK-India partnership

Mr Lewis and a delegation of 50 City professionals will spend 11 days meeting Indian government officials and business leaders in Chennai, Mumbai, Pune and Delhi.

The Lord Mayor's visit provides a very valuable opportunity for UK and Indian practitioners to explore issues to their mutual advantage

Gerry Grimstone

Member

UKTI Financial Services Sector Advisory Board

The mission aims to discuss issues surrounding UK-Indian trade, such as the liberalisation of financial services, the potential for Indian firms to invest in the UK, and vice-versa, and ways to increase working relationships between the two countries.

Mr Lewis commented: "India and the UK have close ties of history and culture, and the City wants to be India’s natural partner in financial services – in India or in the UK and Europe.

He also highlighted the "tremendous resources" available to Indian firms, including human capital, innovation and dynamism, and pointed to links with the UK as a way for the country to realise its potential.

The delegation accompanying the Lord Mayor includes representatives from major investment banks, law firms and shipping firms.

Gerry Grimstone, a member on the UK Trade & Investment Financial Services Sector Advisory Board (FSSAB), commented: "There's a lot of two-way business between the UK and India, and the Lord Mayor's visit provides a very valuable opportunity for UK and Indian practitioners to explore issues to their mutual advantage.”

According to the High Commission of India, the UK is India's second largest trading partner, while a surge of inward investment, especially into the UK's IT sector, has been recorded from Indian businesses.