By Newsvoir
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- UK India Centre will bring experts from different fields to discuss various issues.
- The foundation becomes important as the trade between the two countries is rising by the day and the UK is looking for great trade partners post BREXIT.
In order to help businesses, organizations, and individuals of the United Kingdom and India to work together, a private sector organization named UK-India Centre (UKIC) has been set-up as a company registered in the United Kingdom. The organization aims to bring experts, professionals, and participants from relevant fields at a platform to exchange ideas and information to find out solutions to critical challenges concerning the countries. It will build and sustain a prosperous relationship among all the stakeholders of both countries.
The organization holds high significance in the fast-emerging world in the post-BREXIT scenario when the UK is finding it hard to strike a reasonable trade deal with the EU. The organization has a plethora of objectives that will not only strengthen the relationship of the countries but also find out plausible solutions to long-standing issues affecting the growth of nations. Industries and academia of the UK and India will come together for consultation and collaboration to help the business community resolve their issues and move ahead with the operation.
Mr. Umesh Prasad, Founder-UKIC, recollects, ”I remember casting vote in BREXIT referendum one evening in 2016 after returning from work and wondering how UK’s relationship with the non-EU world will be impacted by the outcome of the referendum. And, here we are now with the news headlines today that PM Borris Johnson says the UK wants the EU trade deal but not at any cost and UK PM Boris Johnson accepts Indias invite to be the chief guest at Republic Day celebrations. This may very well be the signals of the days to come. Perhaps, the UK’s engagements with the non-EU countries will increase in the days to come. In such a scenario, there may be a renewed emphasis on India (vis-a-vis China) for symmetry of interests and historical reasons. I hope things will further evolve in such a way that it becomes imperative for both the UK and India to enhance mutual engagements. UKIC, under my leadership, will certainly do the best to live up to the occasion in providing a suitable platform for the stakeholders to converge and collaborate.”
UK India Centre (UKIC) will further conduct research, analyze and provide advisory services (through UKIC’s research arm India Observatory) to arrive at winning strategic decisions for our clients. It will also publish periodicals (viz. Indian Review) and news portal ‘The India Review‘ (TIR) to disseminate and review information and updates on India and UK. Apart from that, achievements will be recognized and awards will be conferred to encourage the ecosystem.
Mr. Sarvesh Tiwari, India Convener, and a known social activist said to Prittle Prattle News through a press release, “The development seems quite promising when the world is changing fast and shrinking with globalization. India and the UK have always respected their relationship and it’s an opportune time to make the relationship firm in the wake of BREXIT. It will foster rich discussion with experts from different fields and provide much-needed solutions to the hurdles that come in the way of trade. I have full faith in the vision with which the organization has been founded and see promising days for stakeholders.”
The organization will make the path of economic co-operation between the two countries smooth. On the trade and investment side, India’s trade with the UK has grown from USD 5 billion in 2001 to USD 11 billion in 2017. The size of India’s economy, now the world’s fifth-largest (IMF, 2019), makes it an attractive market for UK exporters. Trade between the UK and India totaled more than 20 billion pounds in 2018. The UK is the 4th biggest investor in India with an FDI of USD 26 billion flowed in India from April 2000 to December 2017. Conversely, India is the 3rd largest investor in the UK and has emerged as the 2nd largest international job creator with Indian companies having created over 110,000 jobs in the UK. The defense ties between the two countries are multi-faceted as highlighted by the recent visit by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to the UK in 2020.
India and the UK have strong societal links. There are about 1.6 million Indians in the UK making them the single largest ethnic group. The British Indian community is the sixth-largest in the Indian diaspora. India is the second most common nationality of National Health Service (NHS) Staffs. In terms of study, the UK stands second as the most preferred destination for students. Indian students are the third-largest group of international students in the UK.
Umesh Prasad the Founder of UKIC is a British citizen of Indian origin. He is a former academic and entrepreneur and had earlier started Scientific European (SCIEU) (a science magazine), peer-reviewed research journals European Journal of Sciences (EJS) & European Journal of Social Sciences (EJSS) and, India Review (a monthly magazine on India) and The India Review TIR (a news portal).
