UK trade minister Nigel Huddleston on Tuesday said the 2030 roadmap with India will bring immense benefits for both countries.
Speaking at an event here, the minister said it will deepen cooperation and bring both countries even closer.
“The 2030 roadmap agreed by our Prime Ministers in May 2021 is a practical plan to transform the relationship between the United Kingdom and India. It will bring immense benefits for both countries. We have committed to doubling trade between the two great nations,” Huddleston said.
He said both UK and India have global interests and global reach. “We are science and technology superpowers. We worked together on the Covid vaccine which saved hundreds of lives in several countries,” Huddleston said.
In 2022, the volume of bilateral trade between India and the UK stood at GBP 36 billion, supporting half a million jobs in both countries.
The minister said of the great global challenges, none is more urgent than climate change. “We are proud to work with India and support initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the coalition for disaster-resilient infrastructure,” the minister said.
He also announced a deepening of cooperation between the UK and West Bengal in electric mobility and sustainable construction sectors.
He said to address the barriers to faster adoption of electric vehicles, the UK had worked with the West Bengal government to bridge the skill gaps in the ecosystem in the EV space.
“Together (UK and West Bengal) we will make the transition to zero-emission vehicles faster, more affordable and accessible to all,” he added.
Meanwhile, both the UK and India are negotiating a free-trade agreement which has completed the tenth round of talks.
Huddleston, who arrived here on Monday on a two-day visit to the metropolis, also met former West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra.
“A pleasure to speak with @DrAmitMitra to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to bolstering economic growth in this vibrant state. Also committed participation in the Bengal Global Business Summit, to which we brought the largest international delegation last year,” he tweeted.
The UK minister also met Sanjiv Goenka, the chairman and MD of the RPG Sanjiv Goenka Group, and discussed business ties and opportunities.
“Really productive meeting with Sanjiv Goenka – Chairman and MD of @rpsggroup. We discussed UK-India trade and how a UK-India FTA could help address obstacles to trade, reduce tariffs, and open doors for businesses – creating jobs and opportunities for economic growth,” the minister tweeted.
India is its 12th largest trading partner accounting for 2.1 per cent of its total trade.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said Huddleston is on a three-day visit to South Asia, which covers Kolkata and Dhaka in Bangladesh, focused on unlocking more opportunities for British companies to grow trade and two-way business flows.
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