Global conversations
Some countries don’t share much of a sense of humour, but for whatever reasons that cannot be said of India and the UK. So when the British High Commissioner, James Bevan, referred to a line from “Yes Minister” in a speech he could be confident that his Indian, as well, as British audience would catch the joke. Sir James’s reference was to the frequently used reference by senior civil servant … Read more »Breaking into the India market – courageous decisions paying off
A number of the Tata Group’s top executives have said that you can’t understand their Group until you have visited Jamshedpur. I confess at first I had little idea where the place was, but after a warm invitation from Messrs Muthuraman and Nerurkar, Vice Chairman and Managing Director respectively of Tata Steel, I soon found out much more. The city - with a population of around 1 million or more it … Read more »The heart of India’s largest business – brimming with wide streets and parks
The Prime Minister’s visit to India in February set a number of firsts: the first by a British PM to Mumbai for 20 years, the first by a PM to Amritsar, and the first to India (or anywhere) to be joined by over 120 businesspeople. The size of the business group set us in Mumbai a huge range of challenges, and opportunities. The challenges were apparent from the moment the … Read more »Gas fields, gels and gin – mixing it with the PM’s visit
Visits by the Prime Minister don’t come round too often to most FCO Posts, unless you happen to be in Brussels or Washington. Although I have met some “ex-PMs” in recent postings in Manila and Sydney, it’s more years than I care to remember when I was last involved in a visit by a current Prime Minister. So the visit to Mumbai – and that too before Delhi – of … Read more »Mumbai: The PM has landed
The State of Gujarat, an hour’s flight north of Mumbai, can claim many important contributions to India. It was the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, another key leader of the independence movement and India’s first Home Minister, and Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the massive eponymous conglomerate, hails from Navsari in Gujarat. Gujarat is also a major contributor to the Indian economy. It has massive oil refineries in … Read more »Vibrant Gujarat – attracting business from India and beyond
Many people in London, and other parts of the UK, think they know a good deal about the Mayor of the capital, Boris Johnson: judging from the number of British tourists who greeted him in hotels or on the streets of Mumbai he must also be one of our most widely recognised politicians. Less well known is that the Mayor’s wife has strong connections to India, as her mother was … Read more »The return of Boris to Bollyland: 48 hours of business
As the dramas of the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka unfurled last month, and the England Test series here begins next week, no-one living in India could fail to appreciate the importance of cricket to the nation. T20 Matches against big rival Pakistan, not to mention England and Australia, were watched by millions before India finally succumbed to the pressures of a rampant West Indies. The nation will again … Read more »Weekend in Mumbai: Part 2: Soccer skills and info tech wizards
No-one in India exemplifies ‘The Power of We’ more than Mahatma Gandhi, even over 60 years after his death. He sought to improve the conditions of the poorest and to lead one of the world’s first non-violent mass movements, first in South Africa and then in India. Hundreds of books have been written about his influence on the world’s second largest country. Since I came to Mumbai nearly three years ago I … Read more »The Power of We – Mahatma Gandhi
Weekends in Mumbai, once the monsoon has passed, can involve a variety of activities: walks along the 5km Marine Drive past the art deco buildings and the landmark Oberoi hotel, brunch in one of the expanding range of cafes and restaurants around the town, a round of golf on what must count as one of more unusual but enjoyable courses in the heart of any mega city, or shopping in … Read more »Weekends in Mumbai
Although for millions of Indians visiting London is not even a remote possibility, everyone here with access to a television, radio or newspaper will have been aware, however vaguely, of the 2012 Olympic Games going on in a city far away. It may have been difficult for many to comprehend the exhilaration of the 16 days’ events without access to satellite transmissions, but at least they will have followed the highs … Read more »Olympics Indian style