UK launches new growth Engine in India

Britain has launched a new programme to expand collaborations with India as part of the “Midlands Engine”. The country's minister for business, innovation and skills, Sajid Javid, announced the new engine during an ongoing visit to India this week. The engine is designed to promote the UK's Midlands region as hub for innovation and manufacturing, harnessing Indian and British technology and brainpower, and working together with business and Indian alumni from Midlands' universities to fuel the engine of growth for both countries.Javid said: “The Midlands' natural strengths and assets make it a natural engine for growth. The Midlands is the heartland of our thriving manufacturing sector and home to 25 British universities, some of whose esteemed India alumni have joined us today.“We strongly endorse what Prime Minister Modi said at the JLR [Jaguar Land Rover facility in the Midlands last month that 'economic synergy between India and the UK can achieve a lot'. We want to build on existing education and business links with India and further develop this GREAT Collaboration between our countries by focusing on universities as the creators and drivers of the knowledge economy.”The overseas launch of the “Engine” took place in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).FICCI director A. Didar Singh said: “I am a direct beneficiary of the British education system and FICCI is proud to partner an initiative that is encouraging academic links to fuel an engine of growth between our two GREAT economies. FICCI has been persistently working towards creating an ecosystem to promote engagement of higher education institutions with industry and business enterprises.“This launch in India will open doors for further collaboration and academic research and business between British and Indian institutions and companies. The people here today are testament to the value of a Midlands education and the important role alumni play in trade and investment relationship.”The Midlands Engine is a plan to make the Midlands an engine of growth in the UK, with a new Midlands Prospectus is focused on five key themes of skills, innovation, transport, promoting the 'Engine', and finance for business, and is part of the UK government's wider plans to support jobs and growth.