Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt Guest Of Honour At Irwin Mitchell Event
The opportunities for Yorkshire companies looking to build their presence or gain a foothold in India have never been greater - according to the Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt who was speaking today at an Irwin Mitchell event in Leeds.
Patricia Hewitt, the Chair of the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) and a former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, was the guest of honour at a roundtable debate hosted by the leading national law firm.
The event, which was aimed at highlighting and discussing how to forge closer working relationships with India, was also attended by Paul Johnson and Sandip Khroud from Irwin Mitchell, Mark Ridgway at Group Rhodes, Darren Bush from Bowman Riley Architects, Kaz Driver at QX Ltd and Paul Bradford of Halewood International.
The UKIBC is a business-led organisation that works with the British government to promote bilateral trade between the UK and India.
Sharing her views on the new Indian government and the opportunities for the companies in the UK, Patricia Hewitt said:
“The economic and political climate in India is providing significant opportunities for companies based in the UK. In particular, the ‘Make in India’ campaign recently launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi provides new opportunities for UK companies in sectors as diverse as advanced manufacturing, tourism, pharmaceuticals, urban development and healthcare.
“UK businesses have a very strong brand in India and although there are numerous hurdles for different companies in different sectors, the financial benefits can be significant..
“It is vital that companies remain patient however, but the support services that can be accessed in order to take the first important steps have moved on considerably in the last few years.
“UKIBC’s three centres in India cover the vast majority of India’s GDP and through our on the ground support that we now offer, we can provide tangible assistance for those companies looking for a foothold as well as those that already have a presence.”
Headed up by Leeds-based Corporate Partner, Paul Johnson, Irwin Mitchell’s India Group advises Indian companies looking to invest or operate outside of India. It also advises UK companies attracting investment from India or seeking to access Indian markets.