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British Firm Gets £3.5 Million Worth Contract To Supply Bagpipes To Indian Army

London-based British Band Instrument Company (BBICO) has won an export contract which includes the supply of new bagpipe military band, bagpipe and percussion instruments worth around £3.4 million to all the Indian Army Regimental bands.

The deal worth £3.4m will include around 15,000 instruments to 47 regiments of the Indian Army.


Alun Hughes, the founder and managing director of the company commenting on the deal said, "with this latest announcement of our recent success in India, we are able to demonstrate a positive future for specialist companies such as the British Band Instrument Company in export markets."

The UK government welcomed the British company’s new deal with the Indian government for the supply of military bands. "With their high-quality products reaching all corners of the world, the British Band Instrument Company is a great example of the success that exporting can bring to UK companies," said Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion at the UK's Department for International Trade (DIT).

The agreement also grabbed the attention of Lord Stephen Green, president of the UK's Institute of Export and International Trade and former trade minister who praised the deal and said ‘delighted’ to hear the news on the contract. "This sets an example for all small businesses to follow," he added.

North London-based BBICO narrates itself as a tiny business with a major position in the global music market, providing world-class music product solutions to a wide range of international clients.

"This significant new contract heralds ongoing positive news for the UK export market, highlighting the company's solid reputation, which has grown progressively since being founded over a decade ago," the company said in a statement.

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Under the policy, property owners will face a recurring annual charge additional to existing council tax liability.

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Rachel Reeves announces annual tax on homes worth over £2 million

Highlights

  • New annual surcharge on homes worth over £2 m comes into force in April 2028, rising with inflation.
  • Tax starts at £2,500 for properties valued £2m-£2.5m, reaching £7,500 for homes worth £5m or more.
  • London and South East disproportionately affected, with 82 per cent of recent £2m-plus sales in these regions.
Britain has announced a new annual tax on homes worth more than £2 million, expected to raise £400 million by 2029-30, according to estimates from the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves pointed that the measure would address "a long-standing source of wealth inequality in our country" by targeting "less than the top 1 per cent of properties". The surcharge will come into force in April 2028.

Under the policy, property owners will face a recurring annual charge additional to existing council tax liability. The rate starts at £2,500 for homes valued between £2 m and £2.5 m, rising to £3,500 for properties worth £2.5 m to £3.5 m, £5,000 for £3.5 m to £5 m, and £7,500 for those valued at £5 m or more.

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