Strategic trade mission capitalises on UK-India Free Trade Agreement opportunity
• Mayoral-led mission to India strengthens economic and cultural partnerships during the year of the Free Trade Agreement in order to deliver impact for the West Midlands.
• New civic, academic and innovation partnerships secured across Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru to boost bilateral collaboration, trade and tourism
BIRMINGHAM, England, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A strategic trade mission to the UK's West Midlands region has strengthened economic and cultural ties with India's subregions, building on the recent signing of the landmark UK-India Free Trade Agreement.
Led by West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker between 22nd and 27th February and representing the first outbound mission from the UK in 2026, the delegation of business, political and academic leaders visited Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru. With the aim of reinforcing the long-established, trusted partnership between the West Midlands and India, the mission set out to deliver real impact for the West Midlands, strengthening economic and cultural links and boosting collaboration for the benefit of the region's businesses, people and academic institutions.
The mission was organised by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), with support from the India Global Forum and Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. The delegation included Dr Julie Nugent, CEO at Coventry City Council, Prof. David Mba, Vice-Chancellor at Birmingham City University and Greg Clark, Executive Chair of University of Warwick Innovation District. Official trade mission partners included Aston University, Birmingham City University (BCU), energy provider E.ON, GEDU Global Education, University of Birmingham and University of Warwick.
The delegation was also made up of a number of high-potential West Midlands businesses, led by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, interested in exploring trade opportunities in India. These included Goldilock; School of Coding Limited; World Wide Generation Limited; Agilyx EMEA Ltd; Econominds; CyberQ Group and Cybercy Group.
Throughout the week, the West Midlands delegation attended a series of meetings with senior figures from leading Indian manufacturing companies, with discussion centred around their shared commitment to the future of engineering innovation. This included clean energy company Atri Energy Transition and motorcycle manufacturer and major investor into the West Midlands, TVS Motor Company. Mayor Richard Parker also met with Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chair of Tata Group – the region's biggest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) – to discuss how to accelerate collaboration across technology, energy, steel and communications between the two markets.
This momentum was reflected through the announcement of a new alliance between the University of Warwick and Tata Power, focused on energy storage and industrial decarbonisation. Marking an important step toward strengthening long-term research capability, talent development, and global academic engagement aligned with Tata Power's strategic priorities, the collaboration highlights the importance of West Midlands-borne research expertise to Indian industry partners. During the mission, Aston University also entered into new partnerships with Indian academic institutions the All India Management Association and Xavier School of Management, creating new pathways for skills and talent.
In line with the mission's focus on opening pathways around digital innovation and AI collaboration, the delegation visited some of India's most significant industry hubs. These included the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) - which hosted an interactive industry session focused on unlocking cross-border growth and scaling innovation following the UK-India FTA – the offices of multinational technology company and West Midlands investor Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services. The delegation also visited Gujarat-based GIFT City – India's globally connected financial centre – with the region is now taking forward plans for a joint taskforce with the State of Gujarat, with the ambition of establishing a formal partnership for growth across shared priority sectors.
In support of the region's ambition to grow its creative industries, the delegation visited the iconic Yash Raj Films to discuss how to build partnerships between Mumbai and the West Midlands, focused on attracting productions and opening up new opportunities for the region's studios, freelancers and young creatives.
Throughout the mission, the West Midlands delegation hosted activity to promote cultural exchange and building strong foundations for future partnership with India. This included an event on "The Commonwealth Legacy", to share lessons from hosting the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, ahead of Ahmedabad hosting the major sporting event in 2030.
The mission also successfully profiled the West Midlands across Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru – engaging 30 tour operators through t
