Action taken to boost low number of Indian businesses operating across city region

THE low number of Indian businesses operating in Yorkshire should “make us pull our socks up”, the Indian Deputy High Commissioner said at the launch of the Leeds City Region India Business Club.

Dr Virander Paul was making his first visit to Leeds on Friday for the event, which followed a delegation of Indian bioscience companies earlier in the week.

The initiative, a partnership between the Yorkshire Asian Business Association and Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), aims to provide a focal point for trade with India, developing key relationships and promoting the region to businesses looking to trade with and invest in the UK.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the UK India Business Council, the University of Leeds and Yorkshire businesses were also present to hear presentations from Dr Paul and LEP chairman Roger Marsh as discussions focused on the opportunities to build momentum quickly.

Dr Paul said: “There are 800 Indian businesses in the UK that employ 110,000 people and turnover £22bn.

“London has about 25% of the Indian companies. This region accounts only for about 8% of Indian companies and this should cause concern.

“The India Business Club is a wake-up, and should force us to change direction.

“There may be inadequate awareness of the opportunities and what needs to be done to make things better.

“This figure – 8% – should make us pull up our socks and do things better.”

The first step will be an event hosted by the Indian High Commission in London this summer to bring together Indian businesses already operating in the UK with Yorkshire representatives.

There is also ongoing work to persuade Air India to choose Leeds Bradford Airport as the location for direct flights to the north of the UK. Tony Hallwood from Leeds Bradford Airport was present to give his backing to that medium-term goal, while also highlighting that it can currently be done with just one change, currently the same as Manchester Airport.

Close