THE UK India Business Council (UKIBC) and HSBC UK announced a strategic partnership on Friday to support a major northern England delegation to India, aimed at tapping into the long-term investment opportunities created by the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The Great North Mayor Mission, taking place between 12 and 16 October, will bring together mayors, businesses, universities and civic institutions from across the north of England for a first-of-its-kind joint delegation to India. It comes three months after the implementation of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which aims to at least double bilateral trade from its current annual level of £47.9 billion.
"Signing a trade agreement creates opportunity; turning it into investment, jobs and business growth requires action," said Kishore Jayaraman, Group CEO of UKIBC. "The UK's regions have an increasingly important part to play in that. The Great North is a powerful example. There is enormous collective scale across the North, but also very different strengths and opportunities within each region. Our role is to bring UKIBC's knowledge, networks and presence in India alongside that ambition and help turn it into practical opportunities and lasting relationships," he said.
Industry welcomes India-UK FTA as trade deal comes into force
The Great North brings together mayors from across northern England and combined regional authorities behind a shared ambition to raise the profile of the country's North, attract investment and build stronger economic relationships internationally. The mission next month will open with a collective programme in Delhi, before individual regions pursue activity shaped around their own economic strengths, priorities and relationships.
"India is one of the UK's most important economic partners, and the UK-India free trade agreement creates real momentum to deepen that relationship," said Stephanie Betant, HSBC UK's Head of Global Trade Solutions. "By bringing together a northern economy worth over £340 billion, representing 16 million people and 1.1 million businesses, this mission will help turn ambition into practical outcomes — new trade links, stronger investment pipelines and long-term partnerships that deliver jobs and growth across the North," she said.
UKIBC said it is working with northern England regions to identify where they have the strongest proposition in India, develop market strategies and engagement plans, build relationships with Indian businesses and institutions, and translate those plans into practical programmes on the ground. It is also working to bring the different regional programmes together into a "coherent Northern mission", ensuring that the collective strength of the North is matched by targeted activity reflecting the priorities of individual places.
India trade deal a win for UK firms: Report
UKIBC is supporting work across the North East, Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region and Cheshire and Warrington, alongside its programme-wide role with the Great North, the trade facilitation body stated. The Great North mission will be delivered in partnership with the UK's Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The shared strengths driving the mission cover advanced manufacturing, life sciences, digital technology, clean energy, financial and professional services, and creative industries.
