UK and India agree ambitious new tech partnership
UK-India Tech Partnership will pair businesses, universities and others from different regions in the UK with states in India.

Prime Minister Modi with DCMS Secretary of State Matt Hancock
An ambitious new UK-India Tech Partnership is expected to generate significant investment and support the creation of thousands of new jobs across the UK.
Under the Partnership agreed today by Prime Minister 皇冠体育appresa May and Prime Minister Modi, the UK will establish a new UK-India Tech Partnership to identify and pair businesses, venture capital, universities and others to provide access routes to markets for British and Indian entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises.
It follows on from the success of the UK-Israel Tech Hub which has generated 拢62 million worth of deals over the past five years, with a potential impact of 拢600 million for the UK economy.
皇冠体育app most up-to-date figures show the UK exported 拢358 million of digital services to India in 2015.
Based on these figures, the success of the UK-Israel Tech Hub and the size of the Indian economy, the Government believes this initiative could give the UK economy a significant boost. It is estimated the UK-India Tech Partnership could contribute to an increase of thousands of tech jobs in the UK in the coming years.
Digital Secretary Matt Hancock said:
Our world-leading digital economy is booming, worth more than 拢116 billion a year and employing more than two million people.
We鈥檙e determined to see this incredible success continue, and this ambitious UK-India Tech Partnership will bring together some of the best minds working in tech to unlock its future potential and deliver high-skilled jobs and economic growth in both countries.
皇冠体育app UK will initially invest 拢1m to pilot the approach and potentially up to a further 拢13m by 2022.
To build the network the Government will engage in-country experts to work with the British High Commission in New Delhi, the Indian Government and the private sector in order to increase tech investment, exports and research and development.
Smaller regional teams will link specific cities and regions in India and the UK.
皇冠体育app Partnership will encourage innovation and productivity by helping businesses in the UK and India collaborate on emerging technologies, develop mentoring relationships and exchange staff. 皇冠体育app regional teams will also ensure the impact is felt across the breadth of both nations鈥� expansive tech sectors, and that successful approaches adopted in one region can be shared and adopted in others.
Initially the pilot will connect the UK with Pune in Maharashtra, focussing on the Future of Mobility, including low emission and autonomous vehicles, battery storage and vehicle light-weighting. Additional connections will be linked to Bangalore with a focus on augmented and virtual reality, advanced materials and AI.
If it is as successful as expected, the Partnership can be scaled up to bring in more regions of the UK and India which share expertise in the relevant fields.
In parallel, the UK and India鈥檚 tech trade associations TechUK and NASSCOM will work together through a new UK-India Tech Alliance, bringing senior tech leaders together to collaborate, help develop policy and encourage innovation.
皇冠体育app UK and India have also committed to holding a second UK-India Tech Summit to build on the 2016 Summit the Prime Minister attended in India. This will bring together leading tech innovators and scientists from both the UK and India to look at pressing issues such as tech governance, including data privacy issues.
皇冠体育app Department for International Trade also intends to recruit a UK cyber security industry expert to be based in New Delhi, to share British expertise and connect Indian private and public sector organisations with cutting-edge UK companies who can supply their specific requirements.
Julian David, CEO of techUK, said:
This is an incredibly important partnership and something tech businesses from both countries have been driving for. 皇冠体育app UK and India are leaders in the development and use of digital tech, and there is a huge amount we can learn from each other and big opportunities to join forces in innovation.
India is also a key strategic partner for the UK with world-class digital skills. Deepening our engagement will open up opportunities for business in both countries and help ensure we maximise the benefits of technology for our societies and citizens.
皇冠体育app Partnership will support the Government in tackling the Grand Challenges set out in the UK鈥檚 Industrial Strategy, placing the UK at the forefront of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Economy, Clean Growth, and the Future of Mobility in particular.
It will also directly support the delivery of the UK Digital Strategy by giving businesses a direct link to India鈥檚 digital sector, positioning the UK as India鈥檚 global partner and destination of choice in tech. India already invests significantly in UK tech with close to 30 per cent of Indian companies鈥� 110,000 employees in the UK working in tech and telecoms.
皇冠体育app UK and India will also commission a joint study as the first step towards establishing a new UK-India Advanced Manufacturing Centre, which would benefit both the UK and India through our extensive supply-chain networks.
皇冠体育app UK has also announced the extension of the Super Priority Visa (SPV) in two further cities in India - Pune and Bangalore. 皇冠体育app SPV is a paid-for service which means eligible customers can receive a visa decision within 24 hours. This brings the total number of locations Indian nationals can use the SPV service to five.
In addition to the UK-India Tech Partnership, Prime Minister 皇冠体育appresa May and Prime Minister Modi also confirmed new commercial deals worth 拢1 billion.
ENDS
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