H.E. Shri Kumaran Periasamy, High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, delivered the keynote address at a UK–India Trade, Education and Industry Engagement programme at Aston University, Birmingham, focusing on “The UK–India Economic Partnership after the FTA” and the next phase of the bilateral economic relationship.

In his address, the High Commissioner highlighted the opportunities presented by the UK–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) for expanding trade, investment and business collaboration between the two countries. He emphasised the importance of leveraging the complementary strengths of India and the UK to translate the FTA into greater opportunities for businesses, industry and institutions.

The programme brought together representatives from academia, industry and other stakeholders, providing a platform for discussion on emerging opportunities and new avenues for strengthening UK–India cooperation across trade, education, research, innovation and institutional partnerships.

The keynote was followed by an interaction with the High Commissioner and the launch of the Aston India Centre White Paper, titled “Decoding India’s National Education Policy 2020 and the UK’s International Education Strategy 2026: Opportunities for Sustainable Expansion of Institutional Partnerships.”

The engagement underscored the significant potential for stronger collaboration between India and the UK across education, research, innovation, trade and industry, and the importance of building sustainable institutional partnerships that contribute to the next phase of the India–UK relationship.

The visit further highlighted the important role of universities and industry in deepening bilateral engagement and creating new opportunities for collaboration between India and the United Kingdom.