In June next year, an exclusive and incisive set of events will take the UK-India bilateral relationship into the realm of some out-of-the-box thinking, writes India Inc. Founder & CEO Manoj Ladwa.
The UK is India’s 15th largest trading partner and trade has fallen 20.2 per cent in recent times. Another statistic that may come as a bit of surprise is that the UK’s exports to India have fallen nearly 30 per cent.
Given the backdrop of Brexit and the much-talked-about vision of a global and outward-looking Britain, these figures are a clear indication that a lot more work needs doing to realise the true potential of the UK’s partnership with one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
India Inc. is hosting a unique series of events in June 2018 to push for some outside the box thinking to get this relationship ready for a new phase of growth. The UK-India Week from 19 to 22 June will attract some of the key players that make the bilateral relationship tick and have an easy handle on the wider picture.
Some golf diplomacy at the High Commissioners’ Cup on 19 June will be followed by the 5th annual UK-India Conclave at the historic Latimer House in Buckinghamshire and the glittering 2nd UK-India Awards at a prestigious central London venue, where some of the best minds from myriad fields will not only deliberate but also be celebrated for their relentless work in ensuring the ties remain a focal point for both countries.
‘At a Global Crossroads’ has been chosen as the theme of next year’s two-day “retreat style” conclave to reflect on the realities for both countries – the UK keen to quell any notion of an inward-looking economic future as a non-member of the European Union (EU) and India unleashing a flurry of daring reforms to ensure it can grow at a pace that continues to confound economists around the world.
The timing of the UK-India Week is crucial as it will come weeks after the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting, which will be hosted by the UK in April next year. There is a lot riding on this meeting to inject renewed vigour into the Commonwealth and make it truly relevant as a 21st century partnership. I have written and spoken extensively about the need for India to emerge front and centre in the leadership of this global grouping, and to free it from the shackles of the past. There is a window of opportunity to make the Commonwealth a collective fit for the future, with member-countries collaborating at different levels towards a sustainable economic growth model.
The UK-India Week, which will attract some of the experts who are at the heart of these deliberations, will be the perfect avenue to further define this vision of a ‘Winning Partnership’ and also throw up fresh ideas for the UK-India trade statistics to start showing some real bounce.
*For More details:
The 5th Annual UK-India Conclave www.ukindiaconclave.indiaincorporated.com
2nd UK-India Awards www.ukindiaawards.com
