UK India Business Council extends its UK India Business Centre network in India to Mumbai

As parts of its strategy to support British companies do more business in India, the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) celebrated the signing of an agreement of a third UK India Business Centre with a Puja on August 22, 2014.

The Centre will be located in Equinox Business Park, by Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai. Events and training facilities are available immediately and it is planned that the Centre will be fully open by the end of 2014. Taken with the first two UK India Business Centres in Gurgaon and Bangalore, the UKIBC is offering services and support across the major areas of economic activity in India. For more information on these services please contact [email protected].

The Puja ceremony was presided over by Mr Kumar Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner in Mumbai and Director General of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UKIBC India Board member and former Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of State Bank of India, Mr. Diwakar Gupta, Mr Paul Dass, Chairman of Pacific Business Centres, and the UKIBC Group CEO Mr Richard Heald and UKIBC India Managing Director, Mr Richard McCallum.

In Mumbai, the UK India Business Council will work closely with UKTI in Western India, the British Business Groups in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Pune, and with both UK and Indian businesses and institutions. The Centre will act as a focal point for UKIBC support services to UK businesses across sectors, in particular in the finance and retail sectors.

UK India Business Council members in Mumbai can already participate in and benefit from our policy advocacy and wider sector-focused activity when the Centre opens, this engagement will intensify.

The Centre is located at the Equinox Business Park, off Bandra Kurla Complex, – a secured gated business park occupied by leading multinationals. The Park offers food halls and restaurant facilities. It is excellently located being within 30 minutesof the International Airport and 20 minutes of the Domestic Airport. Mumbai will be the largest UKIBC centre in India based on available space. Current expectations are that it would offer over 25 cabins, over 36 work stations, 4 and 8 person meeting rooms, 20 seater conference facilities as well as access to 40 seater audio visual event rooms and a 60 seater event/training room.

While the centre is expected to become fully operational by the end of 2014, the audio visual and events and training space are available immediately. The Mumbai centre like the centres in Gurgaon and Bangalore, will be managed by Pacific Business Centres, who are UKIBC’s real estate partner.

Speaking on the opening ceremony, Kumar Iyer, said, “Mumbai is the largest metropolis as well as the financial, commercial and movie capital of India and a great place for British – Indian collaboration across relevant sectors. I am delighted that the UKIBC has chosen Mumbai for its next business centre and the opening in Mumbai is testimony to the strong leadership in business shown by this state and the commitment of UK businesses to explore greater opportunities in this region. The UK government welcomes and supports the opening.”

Diwakar Gupta, member of the UKIBC India Board, said, “Given the premier position of Mumbai as India’s commercial capital, where most of India’s corporates and financial institutions are headquartered, and through which most of India’s trade and portfolio flows are routed, it is natural outcome that UKIBC has marked its presence in Mumbai. The location, ambience and size of UKIBC’s Mumbai office are very impressive. India’s economy is on the cusp of a strong revival and the Mumbai office has the potential to become UKIBC India’s most strategic and valuable point of presence, in furthering two-way trade between India and the UK.”

Paul Dass, Chairman, of Pacific Business Centres, says: “Following on from the successful centres in Gurgaon, Delhi and Mumbai, it’s my pleasure to have played a major part in serving the Mumbai centre site, our expertise in this field brings great value and forms the foundation for UKIBC success pan India. We are delighted to be part of the government’s plans to increase trade between Great Britain and India.”

Speaking on the occasion, Richard Heald, CEO, UKIBC said: “With the roll-out of the pro-business policies of the new NDA Government, this is such an exciting and relevant time to be launching the UKIBC centre in Mumbai. This firmly establishes our policy and service platform in Northern, Southern and Western India. It affirms our vision of providing corporate focused end-to end in-country support. Mumbai remains the financial and commercial capital of India. This Centre coupled with our Centres in Gurgaon and Bangalore will enable the UKIBC to offer meaningful policy and sector insights, grounded support across a range of services as well as act as a focal point for UK-India business/trade interactions building stronger connects for British companies with the large Indian business houses based out of Mumbai, and the larger western region.”

UKIBC Business Centre network across India is part of a global initiative by the UK Government to strengthen British business networks in 40 overseas markets and is designed to transform the quantity and quality of support available to British businesses, especially SMEs, seeking to enter or expand in India. The facilities, which are available to all UK companies, include office space, meeting facilities, hot-desking, event space and a Launchpad® service.

In planning its entry strategy into Mumbai, the UKIBC will continue to work with its Indian Real Estate Partner, Pacific Business Centres, so as to replicate the efficient speed of travel achieved in the opening of the UK India Business Centres in Gurgaon and Bangalore.

Read the full article here http://www.ukibc.com/doing-business-in-india/news_and_media/news/140822_Mumbai.aspx

Countries: India
Topics: Market Research
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