New Delhi, March 02, 2009: To enhance business relations between India and UK, East Midlands India Business Bureau develops dialogue with State of Punjab. The business mission from England was welcomed by one of leading real estate companies, Vipul Ltd. Mr. Anil Aggarwal Director Vipul Ltd was Chief Guest at the inauguration of the mission as it heads for the Punjab.
The British High Commission supports this group of business people who will be meeting partners in Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jallandhar and Amritsar in a week of busy business meetings, with support from the CII and UK Trade and Investment.
The key theme of the mission is growth through delivery of shared visions between the Punjab and the East Midlands region of England that matches that of Punjab in Agri-business, Engineering, Education and research. The English counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland have a population of just 4.4 million people, but this East Midlands region hosts nine leading Universities and many excellent colleges – two participating in this mission.
The region is keen to develop partnerships and share its diverse advanced technologies in space, transport – from rail to motor racing - , waste treatment, bio and life sciences and technical textiles. It is also host to high quality services, as wide ranging as quality assurance, innovative design education, ICT, skills assessment, and freight support services. We also the UK's most prestigious luxury brand in table and giftware, Royal Crown Derby, part of this mission.
The Universities in the Punjab have been approached by the British High Commission to match those in the East Midlands, and this mission will start the formal partnering with the Punjab, identifying shared strategies and opportunities to create new joint research, new courses and fresh content that will should start to develop.
Mr. Anil Aggarwal met ten organizations on this East Midlands Regional Government funded mission and will be supporting their meetings in Ludhiana. Talking at the meet he said " We welcome this interest from the businesses from this East Midlands India Business Bureau supported mission. This mission will not only improve the bilateral relations between India and the UK but will also provide us a platform to further enhance our business opportunities. We are glad that the Punjab is on their priority list as it offers huge growth potential for mutual business development. We are looking forward to working with them and to widening our business scope."
The mission is led by Helen Deas, who set up the East Midlands India Business Bureau for England's East Midlands Development Agency (emda), after completing three years as Deputy Head of Mission and Head of trade and investment Western India in the British Deputy High Commmission in Mumbai.
Thanking Vipul Ltd. for their support she said "I am certain that two States in India are natural partners for the East Midlands' region. This visit to the Punjab will result in business and future new developments for the mutual benefit of our educational establishments, businesses and people. I am delighted to have witnessed India's innovation and growth. Whatever world problems there are, our regions have so much to gain that they need to understand more about each other now. The East Midlands India Business Bureau will offer free help to bring our businesses and skills programmes together, with support for Punjabi senior business visitors, looking to visit or establish, as well as East Midlands' firms doing the same in the Punjab. In addition to many Punjabi speakers is the region, we also are proud to be home to the excellent entrepreneurial example of Dr Nath Puri, of Purico and the Puri Foundation, now President of the Nottinghamshire Cricket Club."
The East Midlands India Business Bureau plans a further University mission to the Punjab and to Gujarat later this year.