West Midlands announces 'A mission to seize the moment' to India during the Year of the Free Trade Agreement

• The UK's Mayoral-led mission to India – the first of 2026 – to strengthen economic and cultural ties between West Midlands and Indian subregions. • Trade mission to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru from 23rd to 27th February follows recent signing of UK-India Free Trade Agreement. • Official trade mission partners include Aston University, Birmingham City University (BCU), energy provider E.ON, GEDU Global Education, University of Birmingham and University of Warwick. BIRMINGHAM, England, Feb. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- From 23rd to 27th February 2026, Richard Parker, Mayor of the UK's West Midlands region is set to lead a strategic trade mission to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru, building on the historic UK-India Free Trade Agreement signed in July 2025. The mayoral-led mission to India – the first from the UK in 2026 – aims to strengthen economic and cultural ties between the two markets and forge valuable partnerships for the benefit of the region's universities, businesses and communities. It will also deepen political engagement with key national and state-level leaders, reinforcing the West Midlands' role as a trusted long-term partner for India. As well as promoting new job creation the mission aims to affirm the region – including the flagship West Midlands Investment Zone – as an advantageous location for innovative Indian businesses looking to expand. It will also facilitate strategic engagement with Indian travel trade agents and tour operators, cement cultural ties and celebrate cultural exchange, as India gears up to host the 2030 centenary Commonwealth Games. Led by Mayor Richard Parker, the delegation of West Midlands business, academic and political leaders will also include 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, alongside senior representatives from the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) - the official investment promotion agency for the UK's West Midlands region. The official trade mission partners include Aston University, Birmingham City University (BCU), energy provider E.ON, GEDU Global Education, University of Birmingham and University of Warwick. The West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) – in collaboration with the India Global Forum and Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce - has organised a series of events and meetings with senior figures from Indian businesses and institutions. These include multinational manufacturer Tata Motors, multinational technology company Infosys, motorcycle manufacturer TVS Motors and energy company Atri Energy Transition.  The West Midlands delegation will also host an event in Ahmedabad focused on "The Commonwealth Legacy", with the city set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and will host a number of roundtable events bringing together key industry bodies and intermediaries. These include visitor economy-focused roundtables with VisitBritain in Mumbai and Bengaluru; a roundtable with India technology trade association NASSCOM, following its Technology and Leadership Forum; a roundtable on Urban Transformation and Smart Cities with the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority and an event on AI Skilling & the Future of Work, with the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.   The West Midlands has a uniquely strong cultural relationship with India, through its 'living bridge' of 276,000 ethnic Indians that live and work in the region. The two markets have strong economic links, with India representing the UK's second largest source of investment projects for six consecutive years and the West Midlands representing the UK's largest recipient of FDI projects from India outside London. The number of visits from Indian tourists to the region has grown by more than 20 per cent over the last decade and Indian visitors also spend more in the West Midlands than any English region outside of London, valuing experiences such as world-class cricket at Edgbaston and Birmingham's premium retail and dining scenes. The region is already home to some of India's biggest companies, including Tata Group, TVS, Infosys, Hexaware Technologies, Enzen Global, Suprajit Group, State Bank of India, Microland, and more recently, Firstsource and Mahindra. Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: "The West Midlands and India already share real strengths in manufacturing and automotive, in digital tech and in clean energy. That gives us a solid foundation to turn last year's trade deal into something that delivers here at home. "We've built a strong trading relationship with India over many years, rooted in trust and deep cultural ties across our communities. This mission is about taking that further - growing exports from West Midlands firms, attracting new investment into our towns and cities, and bringing more visitors to our region. "If we ge