COIMBATORE: The United Kingdom and Coimbatore have the potential to strengthen business ties, according to Patricia Hewitt, MP and Chair of the U.K. India Business Council.

Speaking at “U.K.-India: Partners in Action”, a meeting organised here on Wednesday by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the U.K. Trade and Investment, she said Britain had come out of recession and was set to grow again.

The U.K. India Business Council was taking efforts to get more British businesses excited about opportunities in India. Ms. Hewitt later told presspersons that Britain was one of the top investors in India. Over the last five years, British investments in India had doubled. Speaking at the inaugural, Minister for Information Technology Poongothai Aladi Aruna, said that

the State Government had invested over Rs. 350 crore at the Information Technology Special Economic Zone here. Several IT majors were already present here and software exports from Coimbatore were Rs. 373.74 crore in 2008-09. The IT Enabled Services sector was also increasing its presence here.

It had invested Rs. 675 crore in improving infrastructure in the tier-two cities in the State. The Government was keen to take ITES to rural areas, encourage e-governance and IT in administration.

Mike Nithavrianakis, Deputy High Commissioner to South India, British Deputy High Commission, Chennai, said the seminar was part of a wider strategy to associate with the private sector in the emerging business centres outside major metropolitan areas.

For businesses in Coimbatore that were looking at more international operations, the U.K. was a top destination. It was the sixth largest manufacturer. Its ICT industry was enormous providing employment to one million people. The U.K. attracted 1744 new investments in 2008-09. Companies that invested in the U.K. would be able to launch business ventures in other European countries too.

The U.K. – India bilateral trade was set to get stronger with new opportunities emerging in areas such as green technology. Bilateral trade in goods and services in 2008 amounted to Rs. two lakh crore.

The 2012 Olympic Games represented another major opportunity. Over 600 Indian firms had presence in the U.K.

He later told presspersons that Coimbatore was a fast emerging city in various industrial segments.

To begin with, links would be created with U.K. companies by finding firms here that needed to expand business and try to match their needs with those in U.K.

Ravi Sam, Chairman of the CII, Coimbatore, said Coimbatore was an entrepreneurial city. The programme would help entrepreneurs explore new opportunities.

Courtesy - The Hindu