Mayor hosts Indian delegation during UK-India Week 2026

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, followed up his recent trade mission to India by hosting senior leaders from the west coast state of Gujarat for a two-day programme of events and discussions aimed at setting the strategic direction for future collaboration between the two regions' businesses and academic institutions.

Organised by the India Global Forum (IGF) and the West Midlands Growth Company, the UK-India Week (22 – 26 June 2026) programme builds on the landmark trade mission to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru in February this year and ahead of the Government’s landmark Free Trade Agreement with India coming into force on 15 July.

The India delegation visiting the West Midlands included senior officials from the Government of Gujarat, including Mamta Verma IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries & Mines Department, K.C Sampat, Commissioner, Industries Department, and Dr Vikrant Pandey, Secretary to the Chief Minister.

The Mayor said: "We already do more business with India than almost any other UK region. Yet during my visits to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru earlier this year, I saw first-hand the enormous potential to strengthen that economic relationship even further.

"My message to our Indian friends was clear: let’s capitalise on the new trade deal and our shared strengths in advanced manufacturing, clean energy and life sciences – to drive long-term growth for both our economies, and high-quality, well-paid jobs for people here at home."

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, speaking at a Smarter Regions Forum at the University of Warwick as part of UK-India Week 2026.

Manoj Ladwa, chairman of the India Global Forum, said: “The West Midlands and Gujarat are not starting from sentiment; they are starting from strength. I know both places personally: one is Britain’s manufacturing heartland, reinventing itself for the industries of the future; the other is one of India’s great economic engines, defined by enterprise, ambition and execution.

“Put those capabilities together and you have the makings of a serious UK–India economic corridor, built on capability, complementarity and trust. The task now is to turn dialogue into decisions, relationships into capital flows, and shared ambition into jobs, investment and long-term growth.

“That is precisely why we are establishing the Gujarat–West Midlands Steering Committee: not simply to discuss opportunities, but to identify them, unlock them and deliver them. Success will not be measured by the meetings we hold, but by the partnerships we create, the investments we secure and the prosperity we generate for both regions.”

India and the West Midlands already enjoy strong economic links, with the West Midlands representing the UK’s largest recipient of FDI projects from India outside London. Inbound tourism from India into the region has also grown by more than 20 per cent over the last decade.

During the visit, delegates participated in a series of discussions centred on knowledge exchange and sector collaboration, particularly in the areas of advanced manufacturing and mobility, clean energy and industrial decarbonisation, life sciences and healthcare, and education, skills and research.

The programme kicked off with a Smarter Regions Forum at the University of Warwick, where delegates from Gujarat set out their growth ambitions and explored how these align with West Midlands priorities. This was followed by a series of closed-door roundtables, in which senior leaders discussed several issues, including clean energy and sustainable infrastructure across the Gujarat-West Midlands corridor and the West Midlands as a gateway to growth.

Delegates also experienced the West Midlands’ industrial and innovation capabilities first-hand, with a visit to Jaguar Land Rover in Wolverhampton, highlighting the region’s leadership in electrification, advanced manufacturing and global supply chains.

The February trade mission demonstrated the strength and depth of the relationship, and resulted in new partnerships across academia and industry, including a new alliance between the University of Warwick and Tata Power, focused on energy storage and industrial decarbonisation, and Aston University’s new partnerships with Indian academic institutions the All India Management Association and Xavier School of Management, creating new pathways for skills and talent.

The UK-India Week programme supports the strategic ambitions of the West Midlands Growth Plan, supporting innovation-led growth, economic resilience and long-term impact across the region’s priority sectors.

The UK–India Free Trade Agreement comes marks a significant milestone in one of the world's most important economic partnerships. It is expected to increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion annually in the long term and boost economic growth in both countries by reducing barriers to trade, improve market access and create new opportunities for businesses, investors and exporters.

The West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) is the principle economic delivery organisation for the West Midlands. Its mission is to shape a thriving, inclusive and globally competitive region by supporting the delivery of the West Midlands Growth Plan on behalf of Mayor Richard Parker and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).