A SENIOR British minister visited India last weekend to help launch alliances under the UK-India Tech Partnership initiative.
Matt Hancock, the UK’s Digital and Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) secretary, launched the collaboration plan which is hoped will create new deals, jobs and investment for both nations.
The UK-India Tech Partnership was announced in April when the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi made a state visit to Britain.
Hancock confirmed the Partnership will link the Midlands Engine with Maharashtra with a focus on low emission and autonomous vehicles, battery storage and vehicle light-weighting.
He also announced the Northern Powerhouse, a proposal to boost economic growth in northern England, would be linked to Karnataka to work on data, augmented and virtual reality, advanced materials and AI.
“The UK and India are global leaders in tech. By deepening our ties we can open up huge opportunities... for both countries,” Hancock said. “Our new UK-India Tech Partnership will not only lay the foundations for new investment, growth and jobs, but it will also boost collaboration on the technologies of the future.”
Hancock is the first minister to visit India following Modi’s visit to the UK for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April.
