High-level UK business delegation to visit India from Monday

London, Jan 17 (PTI) A high-power British business
delegation led by Lord Peter Mandelson will visit India from
Monday to forge closer economic links and build on existing
relationships and partnerships.

During the visit organised by the UK India Business
Council (UKIBC) and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), 129
delegates including business leaders Vittorio Colao, CEO,
Vodafone; Lord Meghnad Desai, noted NRI economist; Terry Hill,
Chairman, Arup; Evelyn de Rothschild and Gerry Grimstone of
Standard Life will visit New Delhi, Pune and Mumbai.

Commenting on the visit, Lord Mandelson, Secretary of
State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, said the
UK and India are now facing many similar challenges.

"While we both are rightly geared towards tackling the
effects of the global downturn, we must also strive to
position our economies as leaders during the upturn.

"We must not let the current economic downturn undermine
the strong business relations that the UK and India have
worked so hard to build. We need to identify key sectors where
Indian and UK companies can work more closely together. I am
convinced our efforts today will set us in good stead for
tomorrow," he said.

Sharon Bamford, UKIBC CEO, said: "Our message to India is
clear, our commitment is strong; the acts of terrorism in
Mumbai were a cowardly attack aimed at destabilising a strong,
rapidly growing economic super power and British business will
not be deterred from developing and deepening its business
relationship.

"Our business community is well aware of the challenges
it faces in the current climate with the UK economy predicted
to shrink by 1.7 per cent in 2009 whilst the Indian economy is
predicted to grow by 6 percent."

The UKIBC, Bamford said, urges British companies to look
towards India as an opportunity, be it for outsourcing,
partnering, as a customer or for acquisitions.

"Working with the UKIBC board and partners at UK Trade
and Investment and with the Indian business community, we are
really confident of moving forward on this front," she said.

The delegation will participate in a range of activities
including the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO)
roundtable discussions which aim to identify new opportunities
for B2B collaboration in a range of sectors, as well as
address bilateral trade policy issues at Government-to-
Government level.

The delegation will also participate in the CII
Partnership Summit, Innovation Nation panel discussion and the
UK India Business Council office opening in Mumbai.

On January 22, Lord Mandelson will formally open the
UKIBC office to add to the existing office in New Delhi. The
staff there will provide members with networking
opportunities, host quality events, seminars and delegations.

Members will receive insightful research, reports and
white papers, expert guidance in doing business in the UK and
informative and thought provoking quarterly magazines, monthly
newsletters and weekly updates.

"Every ambitious player with a mature position in India
now sees overseas growth through acquisition as the way to get
hold of more customers, brands and knowledge," Bamford said.
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