Prime Minister leads largest ever trade mission to India

The visit is capitalising on the growing number of opportunities for trade and investment between the two countries, across a wide variety of sectors

The largest ever Prime Ministerial trade delegation has arrived in India, as part of the Government's determined effort to promote British business abroad and to help Britain succeed in the global race.

Over 100 companies are participating in the three day visit including more than 30 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), along with Ministers Lord Green, David Willetts, Hugo Swire and Greg Barker. They are meeting a number of Indian Government Ministers, inward investors and businesses in both Mumbai and Delhi, as the Government seeks to link British businesses up to one of the world’s fastest growing economies, predicted to become the third largest by 2050.

A series of major trade and investment deals have been announced - amongst the UK companies who will benefit are Benoy, Mott MacDonald and the InterContinental Hotels Group. Additionally, BP has announced it intends to join forces with Reliance Industries Limited to invest $5 billion in the next few years into India’s gas markets

The Government will also use the trade mission to encourage more innovative technology companies from India to set up in the UK. It will launch a competition, supported by British Airways, to offer 3 entrepreneurs the opportunity to visit Britain on a tailored programme that will encourage them to set up here within the next 18 months, creating jobs and bringing innovative IT processes and solutions to the UK

Commenting on the visit, the Prime Minister said:

"As India grows, it needs a partner that can support its ambition – in infrastructure, in energy, in healthcare and more. It wants its business to have unrivalled access to European and global markets and its students to get the best education in the world. Britain can do all these things and more. So, we have to get out there, make the case for Britain and open doors for British business"

Follow events on Twitter using #PMIndia, and view latest updates on the trade mission on No.10’s Storify feed below