THE LADY Mayor of the City of London, Susan Langley, on Wednesday said companies in the UK still do not understand India well and see the country as “regulatory heavy”.
Langley, who is visiting India, said one of the objectives of her trip is to identify projects and opportunities for UK investment. She said there are opportunities for the two countries to work together.
"I think people (in the UK) don't understand India and how to access the Indian market and the opportunities and the huge growth stories," Langley said in an interview with PTI.
"When they have a choice of where to expand and where to increase, India is still sometimes, to some of them, a bit of a mystery. It still seems a bit complex, you know, regulatory heavy," she added.
She said case studies could help address this perception.
"You teach by stories, by saying X has been successful, or we just did this, and these are the opportunities. So, that's one of the key objectives of this visit... to deepen the relationships between the two of us and talk about what we can do together," Langley said.
On the India-UK free trade agreement, she said it is a platform to build on, especially in services.
Referring to the India-UK Infrastructure Financing initiative launched in September 2023, she said it focuses on fintech, innovation, biotech, green finance, transition finance and education.
Langley also spoke about a campaign to tackle disinformation about London and said there is an active disinformation campaign against the city.
"So, can I say that London is one of the safest cities in the world? It is safer than any US state or major city. It is safer than most European capitals. Every city, Mumbai, Delhi, has a level of crime, but for London, it is one of the lowest," she said.
Earlier in the day, Langley met Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
(With inputs from PTI)
