The minister for international trade of the UK, Nigel Huddleston, is likely to announce a new project on Tuesday which would see the UK and the West Bengal government joining hands on a pilot project to develop electric two-wheelers, such as motorcycles or scooters. The minister on Monday kicked off a three-day visit to Kolkata and Dhaka for unlocking more opportunities to the British companies to grow trade and win business. The UK’s bilateral trade with India has already topped GBP 36 billion, supporting half a million jobs across both countries.
As part of its ambition to double bilateral trade by 2030, the UK is continuing to negotiate a trade deal with India. Huddleston said, “The UK has a strong and enduring relationship with India and Bangladesh. Our trade with both has grown significantly over the past year, which shows our partnerships reaching new heights. I want to use my first official visit here to show the UK’s eagerness to work on shared challenges like climate change, using our expertise to deepen our trading relationship, spark economic growth and create jobs.”
Besides e-vehicle, he will facilitate the signing of an MoU between the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Government of West Bengal on skill development in sustainable and modern methods of construction. Through these three initiatives, UK businesses will be well-placed to customise and market EV technology and sustainable construction for this market in India.
