UK Delegates in Smart City of Maharashtra

Last updated Oct 12, 2018

NP NEWS NETWORK

Pune

“Trade between India and UK is 16 billion pounds and we want to see that grow further. Technology partnerships are a key way of driving it,” James Brokenshire, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, the UK in Pune.

Brokenshire was accompanied in his meetings along with Andy Street, the mayor of West Midlands, where Tata Motors’ subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover Automotive is headquartered on Friday.

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The Midlands-Maharashtra Technology Partnership has been described by the UK government as the regional element of the UK-India Technology Partnership announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Theresa May during his visit to the UK in April.

The Indian and British governments had committed to increasing partnerships in technology through the industry, government, science and research, and by fostering trade and investment opportunities in both directions.

The UK government is also using the opportunity to encourage British companies to participate in the India-UK Future Tech Festival in New Delhi in December.

The festival is being pitched as a thought-leadership summit which will bring together business, policymakers, venture capital, scientists and entrepreneurs.

Brokenshire three-day visit to India on Friday during which he met several stakeholders to deepen ties between the two nations in Pune along with the meeting with Ministers as well Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) commissioner Kiran Gitte about smart cities.

In particular, the Member of Parliament sought to deepen the ties between Maharashtra and the Midlands province, the UK.

In the city, he met Union heavy industries minister Anant Geete to talk about partnerships in the automotive and electric vehicle segments.

“I had a very positive meeting with minister Geete and we spoke about partnerships in automotive and battery powered vehicles,” Brokenshire.

Brokenshire said that in January we UK will send a delegation to India to participate in a symposium on International Automotive Technology to be conducted by the city-based Automotive Research Association of India.

Andy Street said, “There is a real bond between Pune and West Midlands – with about 4 million people – as you would know about the Tata-Jaguar-Land Rover base there. The company is already testing autonomous vehicles there.

Brokenshire said, “For me smart cities is about ecosystem, keeping it green and using our natural resources and maintaining them. Battery technology is growing day by day and its rapidly changing today’s technology cannot be predicted to be existing ahead. we have been researching on it and we want Indian’s to study on it. So that exchange of ideas can help. Apart from it, in future the battery vehicles will be more usage and inbuilt such battery charging point we have made provisions in our building similar can be done.”

Later in the day, they were scheduled to visit auto component maker Bharat Forge, which recently invested about Rs 90 crore in the UK-based electric vehicle company – Tevva Motors.

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Brokenshire also said that the country will work towards creating a “level-playing field,” between those seeking employment opportunities from the European Union (EU) and the rest of the world.

Brokeshrine added, “I am glad to inform you that there is a 30% increase in student visas granted to Indian students last year. We have always wanted Indian students to come and study in the UK. We value and treasure that… With the UK now leaving the EU, we are looking at creating a level playing field for those who want to come to work from the EU as well as the rest of the world,” he said, adding, “The point is that (even now) students can stay on and work. Students who have graduated have four months to secure graduate-level employment, following which they can stay for 3 years with possibility of extension beyond that.”