Thiruvananthapuram: British High Commissioner to India Sir James Bevan will lead a 25-member delegation from the UK in the two-day ‘Emerging Kerala’ investors’ meet, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Kochi on September 12.
Bevan will deliver a lecture on September 12 at the ‘UK Country Session’.
In a statement, Bevan said the meet would see participation from the largest ever business delegation to Kerala, the evidence of wider, stronger and deeper partnership between the UK and India.
“Last year, the India-UK bilateral trade grew by 26 per cent... Our exports to India grew by 29 per cent. India has become the fifth largest investor in the UK and we are the third largest investor in India.”
“My congratulations to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Emerging Kerala and we look forward to a successful event,” Bevan said.
The UK delegation includes representatives of leading firms such as London and Partners, Balfour Beatty, Happold Consulting, NHS Global, ARM, Wardray Premise, Silver Streak Consultants, City and Guilds, the Converging World, BMT Group, SERCO and Mott MacDonald.
Britain’s Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai Mike Nithavrianakis said British firms from sectors like education, health care, infrastructure and technology would participate in the event.
“Our business engagement with Kerala is long-standing. Over the last three years, we have had business outreach events in both Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram,” Nithavrianakis said.
