Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

British Firm Gets £3.5 Million Worth Contract To Supply Bagpipes To Indian Army

London-based British Band Instrument Company (BBICO) has won an export contract which includes the supply of new bagpipe military band, bagpipe and percussion instruments worth around £3.4 million to all the Indian Army Regimental bands.

The deal worth £3.4m will include around 15,000 instruments to 47 regiments of the Indian Army.


Alun Hughes, the founder and managing director of the company commenting on the deal said, "with this latest announcement of our recent success in India, we are able to demonstrate a positive future for specialist companies such as the British Band Instrument Company in export markets."

The UK government welcomed the British company’s new deal with the Indian government for the supply of military bands. "With their high-quality products reaching all corners of the world, the British Band Instrument Company is a great example of the success that exporting can bring to UK companies," said Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion at the UK's Department for International Trade (DIT).

The agreement also grabbed the attention of Lord Stephen Green, president of the UK's Institute of Export and International Trade and former trade minister who praised the deal and said ‘delighted’ to hear the news on the contract. "This sets an example for all small businesses to follow," he added.

North London-based BBICO narrates itself as a tiny business with a major position in the global music market, providing world-class music product solutions to a wide range of international clients.

"This significant new contract heralds ongoing positive news for the UK export market, highlighting the company's solid reputation, which has grown progressively since being founded over a decade ago," the company said in a statement.

More For You

UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Economy grew 0.7 per cent in Q1 2025, fastest in a year

THE UK economy expanded at its fastest pace in a year during the first quarter of 2025, driven by a rise in home purchases ahead of a tax deadline and higher manufacturing output before the introduction of new US import tariffs.

Gross domestic product rose by 0.7 per cent in the January-to-March period, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, confirming its earlier estimate. This was the strongest quarterly growth since the first quarter of 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rosneft in early talks to sell India refinery stake to Reliance

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani (Photo: Getty Images)

Rosneft in early talks to sell India refinery stake to Reliance

RUSSIAN oil major PJSC Rosneft Oil Company is in early discussions with Reliance Industries to sell its 49.13 per cent stake in Nayara Energy, an Indian energy company that operates a 20-million-tonnes-per-year oil refinery and 6,750 petrol pumps, sources familiar with the matter said.

The deal, if finalised, would see Reliance overtake state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to become India’s largest oil refiner. It would also provide Reliance with a significant expansion in fuel retailing, where it currently holds a relatively small presence.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty
Trump shakes hands with Modi during a joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Key issues in India, US trade talks

TRADE talks between India and the US have hit a roadblock over disagreements on duties for auto components, steel and farm goods, Indian government sources said to Reuters, dashing hopes of reaching an interim deal ahead of president Donald Trump's July 9 deadline to impose reciprocal tariffs.

Here are the key issues at play:

Keep ReadingShow less
Anil Agarwal

Vedanta Resources, which is based in the UK and owned by Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal, has been working on reducing its debt. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta Resources signs £438 million refinancing deal

VEDANTA LTD said on Thursday that its parent company, Vedanta Resources, has signed a loan facility agreement worth up to £438 million with international banks to refinance existing debt.

The refinancing move, where old loans are replaced by new ones, often at better terms like lower interest rates, has led ratings agencies such as S&P Global Ratings and Moody's to upgrade their outlook on the company this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump-Getty

Trump said that while deals are being made with some countries, others may face tariffs.

Getty Images

Trump says major trade deal with India may be finalised soon

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Friday said a "very big" trade deal could be finalised with India, suggesting significant movement in the ongoing negotiations between the two countries.

“We are having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe with India. Very big one. Where we're going to open up India," Trump said at the “Big Beautiful Bill” event at the White House.

Keep ReadingShow less