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Cameron woos IndIa
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tors affecting the flow of Indian students to UK universities, one of the delegates also mentioned that a re-entry into the Indian education system after the oneyear taught Masters programme was difficult with lack of recognition.
Speedy visa for businessmen British Prime Minister David Cameron, who arrived in India’s commercial capital Mumbai on Monday, said that, UK would introduce same-day visa services for investors and there would be no cap on the number of Indian students to UK or the duration of their residence there. The British PM also said India should continue to reduce trade barriers to create better opportunities for British companies. He also spoke of partnering in Indian infrastructure projects like a potential economic corridor between Mumbai and Bangalore. He added that Britain was looking to be "India's partner of choice" and was impressed to see India's rise. "India's rise is going to be one of the great phenomena of this century and it is incredibly impressive to see - the vibrancy of your democracy, the great strength of the diversity of your
To make Mumbai world-class Metropolis
PM Cameron meets Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh
on the number of Indian students who can study and work in the UK. Indian students would be allowed to stay for any length of time to work at graduate level jobs. Currently Britain has 40,000 Indian students. “This relationship focuses on the future rather than on the past. India is planning 40 million
David Cameron offering a garland to the martyr's memorial of 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai
country and the enormous power of your economy, that is going to be one of the top three economies by 2030," he said while addressing officials and executives of Hindustan Unilever.. I want Britain and India to have a special relationship...this is a relationship about the future, not the past," Cameron said in his first public engagement, an interaction with the staff of Hindustan Unilever, the Indian unit of British consumer products' giant, Unilever. Britain wants to be India's partner of choice, the visiting premier said, adding the two countries have a lot in common such as history, language, culture. "You are the largest democracy in the world, and we are the oldest," he further said. "UK can forge one of the great partnerships of the 21st century with India." Cameron stated that it was fantastic to be back in Mumbai. "I am very proud of the fact that I have been the Prime Minister for two-and-a-half-years and this is my second visit to India, because I want Britain and India to have a very special relationship.” Stating that he brought to India the biggest delegation out of Britain, Cameron also mentioned that Britain wants to tie up with India in many different ways and Britain was on track to double trade between the two countries by 2015.
No cap on number of Indian students He added there would be no cap
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 23rd February 2013
more places in Universities and we will help you provide them.” (Refer to story on international students in page 13)
Britain offers help in chopper scam probe India and Britain agreed on Tuesday to work together to investigate any possible wrongdoing by a British company involved in a major deal to sell helicopters to India that has been clouded by charges of kickbacks and bribes. Cameron during his meeting with his Indian
have introduced anti-bribery legislation that is probably the strongest anywhere in the world. And we will root out any problems of bribery or corruption wherever they appear, and whenever they appear.” Indian investment welcomed The British Premier said there were great opportunities for Indian companies to invest in Britain. "When I see Indian investment in Britian, I only see hope - investments like Jaguar and Land Rover, which is a massive international success story," he said. "We welcome that sort of investment." In a sign of the growing business footprint, British retail company Debenhams will open ten new stores across India by 2017, and UK hairstyling brands Brylcream and TRESemme products will go on sale in India. The Royal Mint and the MMTC-PAMP India have partnered to strike The Royal Mint's gold Sovereign commemorative coins in India for the first time in nearly a century. The InterContinental Hotel Group also plans to expand in India by building 13 new hotels over the next few years. The delegation also explored soft power exchanges in health, education, culture and renewable energy. The British Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts, chaired a round table on education and employability at St Xavier's College in Mumbai. On the sidelines of the event, he told the present press and media that they would meet officials of the human resource development ministry in Delhi to discuss the problems associated with recognition of the
David Cameron arrives in Mumbai, India with his trade delegation including Lord Dolar Popat (back-right), Priti Patel, MP (behind PM), David Willets (back left)
counterpart Manmohan Singh said Britain would respond to any request for information on the deal by the Italian firm Finmeccanica and its British subsidiary, AgustaWestland. Under the deal, the companies were to sell 12 helicopters to India. He said, “In Britain we
Masters' programmes in India. "The Indian government education bodies do not recognise the one-year taught Masters' degree from the UK. Though getting a job in the private sector is easier with the degree, the government sector does not recognise it." Attributing this as one of the fac-
Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan also used the occasion to push for investment. "Our vision is to transform Mumbai into a world-class metropolis, which is estimated to require investment worth US $40 billion. Participation of the UK business community will encourage us to plan more initiatives," he said, adding that Cameron had shown interest in investing in Mumbai and Maharashtra.
Mumbai-Bangalore corridor At the Hindustan Unilever office
in Powai, the first of his two engagements in the city, Cameron said British companies could help India develop new cities and districts along the 1,000-km corridor that would link the financial capital of Mumbai with the IT hub of Bangalore.
Trade between UK & India to multiply Trade between India and UK has grown by 23% in 2010-11, and both countries hoped to double the figure by 2015. Before Prime Minister flew out of Britain, City AM reported that he had planned to pledge £8m of government funding for a network of British Business Centres in India. The British PM on arriving lauded the "enormous power" of the Indian economy and said he wanted UK to be "a partner of choice" in India's growth over the next decade. Continued on page 30
Who accompanied PM David Cameron? Business delegation Aecom Arup Association of Colleges Association of Corporate Treasurers Atkins BAE Systems Balfour Beatty Benoy Bluewater Bio Bournville College BP Brit Health Care British Council British Museum BT India Pvt. Cobham Cobra Beer Partnership Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Conversor CTC Aviation Group De La Rue Debenhams Deloitte Diageo DLA Piper DMC Healthcare EADS UK East End Foods Financial Services Authority Flitabout Griffon Hoverworks Hildebrand Technology Hip Impact Protection HSBC Infosys Innovative Physics InterContinental Hotels Group Investis Invotec Group J&H Sales JCB John McAslan & Partners Joseph Rhodes KPMG Lloyd's London Chamber of Commerce & Industry London School of Economics & Political Science London Stock Exchange London Underground Marshall of Cambridge (Holdings) MBDA Mitras Automotive (UK) Monsoon Mott MacDonald Muntons New College Nottingham OCS Group Oxford Business Group Pathfinder Health India Pi Capital Polaris Financial Technology
Premier League Project Orange Architects & Interiors Red Gate Software Rolls-Royce Roy Newey Serco Silverstone Hotels Solent India Business Network & Dutton Gregory Solicitors LLP Standard Chartered Standard Life Steps Drama Strongfield Technologies Sybarite Architects Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) UK Technology Strategy Board Thales UK Thames Bridge Capital The Blackstone Group The British Library The City UK The Clinical Trial Company Ltd The Open University TPP Trans Data Management Triumph Motorcycles UK Export Finance UK Higher Education International Unit UKIBC Ultra Electronics Holdings Ultra Global PRT University of Cambridge University of Cardiff University of Exeter University of Southampton Univesity of Warwick Veetee Foods Virgin Atlantic Wadaro Wellcome Trust West Nottinghamshire College Ministers Lord Green, trade minister Hugo Swire, Foreign Office minister David Willetts, universities and science minister Greg Barker, climate change minister MPs and Peers Lord Loomba Lord Noon Lord Parekh Lord Patel Lord Popat Lord Bilimoria Priti Patel MP Alok Sharma MP Paul Uppal MP Shailesh Vara MP