12th August 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
In Mumbai, a city of about 18 million heaving with offices, accommodation and traffic, you don’t expect to find a sanctuary of calm less than 15 minutes from the international airport. But on a recent visit to call on the Global Chief Executive of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Mr Chandrasekharan (Chandra), that is precisely what […]
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8th July 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A small group from the Deputy High Commission went after work one evening to a part of Mumbai we wouldn’t normally visit. Kamathipura has numerous small businesses, and like every part of the city is a great example of entrepreneurism. That evening we saw the dark side of business, calling on the founder of an […]
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22nd June 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
For two consecutive Fridays I have had an opportunity to get a glimpse of how British universities are making their mark in India. On the first occasion I attended the launch of an initiative by Glasgow Caledonian University with the Deccan Education Society at Fergusson College, part of Pune University. Held at the College’s […]
Read more on Student exchanges on the increase to and from India to Britain | Reply
3rd May 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I met recently in Mumbai a former colleague, and competitor, visiting from the Enterprise Ireland trade promotion organisation in Dublin. We had worked in Sweden at the same time, seeking out opportunities for our countries in the large Swedish and Scandinavian markets. I was able to obtain an extra ticket for him to join my […]
Read more on Cricket the IPL way – or how to begin to understand the middle classes in India | Reply
3rd May 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The importance the British Government attaches to enhancing relations with India was underlined in March when Lord Green visited the country, including Mumbai. Lord Green has just weeks ago taken on the position of Minister of Trade and Investment, and his first official overseas visit was to India. Lord Green is well known to many […]
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8th March 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
In February I took part in five workshops, from Edinburgh to Newmarket, and Leeds to London. These workshops were arranged and supported variously by UKTI, the Asia Task Force, RBS and The Economist Intelligence Unit about India. From the number of businesspeople who attended at each venue, probably over 500 in all, I was left […]
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4th February 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
We welcomed to Mumbai in January the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Dr Vince Cable. He came with an extensive professional and personal knowledge of India, and indeed affection for the country. He was happily married for thirty five years, until her death, to a lady whose parents were from Goa, and […]
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27th January 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Two senior figures in British politics were in Mumbai in January – Vince Cable and Boris Johnson. Boris Johnson and Peter Beckingham Two senior figures in British politics were in Mumbai in January – Vince Cable, Cabinet Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, and Boris Johnson, The Mayor of London. They don’t […]
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10th December 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
On Thursday 18 November forty people gathered pre-dawn at one of India’s most historic sites, the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, where Mahatma Gandhi lived for many years. The occasion was the beginning of an India-UK Friendship Walk, which my wife Jill has organised with massive support from members of the Association of British Scholars in […]
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23rd November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I had an opportunity to see and hear about some of the colossal opportunities and developments outside Mumbai, in the State of Madhya Pradesh. The State, which straddles the centre of India, remains one of the poorest areas of the country, with high figures for incidents of malnutrition among children and low levels of income […]
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