Midland firms urged to focus on India and Australia for new export strategies

MIDLAND businesses have been urged to look at opportunities in India and Australia when deciding on their export strategies.

Both countries have been the focus of high profile campaigns by the West Midlands arm of overseas trade body, UK Trade and Investment.

A one-day conference at Edgbaston focused on opportunities for UK firms looking to invest in India. The event, attended by Universities Minister David Willetts, was also an opportunity to showcase the UK to prominent Indian businesses including Tata Consulting Services, Polaris Financial Technology Ltd and Infosys Technologies Ltd.

One key focus of the India Business Day event was to highlight the advantages gained by foreign businesses of working in collaboration with UK universities.

Mr Willetts said that for the education and industrial sectors in the West Midlands there were many advantages to be had in business with India.

“The Midlands has a number of advantages when it comes to dealing with India. The main one being the high number of Indians in the region,” he said.

“The work being carried out in the advanced manufacturing sector, the main exponent of which is Jaguar Land Rover, is also a major factor in the region’s attraction to foreign investors.”

BMW-owned Mini is one of the firms taking the opportunity of extending links with the sub-continent. It is to begin manufacturing two its models in India to serve the domestic demand.

Munear Taskar, of medtech Persistent Systems, said his company was looking to replicate its successful growth model in North America in the UK.

“All our success so far has come in North America where we have followed the university talent and this has lead us to drive innovation forward,” he said.

“We don’t have any collaborations in the Midlands so far but the opportunities for research into bio-mechanics and cancer research are of interest to us. We would be happy to collaborate with the universities and their work.”

In the opposite direction, Justin Heath, of Bluewater Bio, said his firm had developed an activated sludge treatment system which was already gaining significant business in the Middle East and the firm was now looking at Indian markets.

Many of the components to the machines are manufactured in the Midlands and the firm is now looking to expand the model with the possibility of an Indian-based operation.

Paul Noon, UKTI regional director, said UK SMEs need have no fear of working with Indian companies because the business cultures were very similar.

However, he said the support and guidance of a body like UKTI was important because it could firms navigate the complex red tape which binds Indian bureaucracy.

“Doing business in India is not for the novice exporter but offers good growth and so we are keen to increase the number of companies we work with. We can help identify suitable partners and improve routes to market,” he said.

Mr Noon said the picture was very similar in Australia, where the various states were competing to attract foreign investment and were targeting sectors including advanced manufacturing, IT, infrastructure and construction, education, clean tech and mining and agriculture.

UKTI is leading a trade mission to Australia later this year where the focus will be on business, consumer and financial services, education and training, digital media and creative industries, defence and security, advanced engineering, healthcare, energy, oil & gas, ICT and infrastructure.

The mission takes place between November 30 and December 6 and further information is available from Paul Meikle at p.meikle@uktiwm.co.uk or 0121 607 1821.

Close