By Newsdesk

Higher education, agri-tech, and e-sports will feature as prominent sectors in a revamped series of modern, targeted UK trade missions to India over the coming year.

The Department for Business and Trade has launched Alive with Opportunity, a £1.5 million marketing campaign designed to build on the UK and India’s strong and enduring relationship, boost trade and investment, and promote the two nations’ powerful cultural links.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch launched the campaign on a three-day visit to India that started on Thursday, 24 August. During her visit, Badenoch’s schedule involves attending the G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Jaipur before flying to New Delhi for a parallel business-focused Business 20 summit, plus meetings with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Tata Chair Natarajan Chandrasekaran.

UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said: “I’m delighted to be returning to India to support their G20 Presidency, further our trade talks and meet key business leaders. The UK and India have a thriving relationship and we both share an ambition to deepen our cultural and trading ties.

“India is the UK’s second biggest source of investment projects and I’m confident this new campaign will help boost interest in and demand for UK goods and services even further.”

As part of the UK’s ambitions to double trade with India by 2030, the campaign aims to stimulate interest and demand for UK goods and services and attract new Indian inward investment.

New DBT data shows India is the UK’s 2nd largest source of investment projects, with 118 new projects in the last financial year creating 8,384 new jobs.

Today, more than 900 Indian businesses operate in the UK, and more than 600 UK businesses are finding success in India supporting more than half a million jobs across both countries.

The ‘Alive with Opportunity’ campaign will celebrate business, trade, cultural and sporting links between the UK and India, taking advantage of major moments such as India’s hosting of the Cricket World Cup and the England-India test series starting in January.

Adverts promoting the UK will feature across billboards, in airports and across social media channels backed by a series of targeted trade missions, promotional events and marketing activations in both countries.

The campaign aims to bring to life the concept of the ‘living bridge’, a phrase popularised by Indian PM Narendra Modi to describe the relationship between the two countries based on a continuous exchange of people, ideas and culture.

UK-India Business Council CEO, Richard McCallum, said: “With total trade growing 34% in current prices in the year to March 2023 and India remaining the 2nd largest source of FDI projects in the UK, there is no doubt that the economic relationship between our two countries is flourishing.

“UK companies recognise that India is one of the fastest growing economies and one that is alive with opportunity in a range of sectors, including R&D, talent and manufacturing. Indian firms are also embracing UK technology and capital to grow internationally.

“I’m encouraged to see the launch of this campaign, which showcases our countries’ symbiotic relationship and the many cultural and trading opportunities both have to offer.”

Badenoch’s visit coincides with Round 12 of talks for an ambitious and comprehensive trade deal with India. She will meet with her counterpart Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to take stock of negotiations and agree how to progress a deal which could boost our bilateral trade, already worth £36 billion last year.