Britain is keen on expanding its trade with India, a minister said today, asserting that there is scope to further strengthen the "thriving" bilateral economic relationship.
Minister of state for Asia and the Pacific in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Mark Field, who recently returned from a visit to India, said "during my visit I saw for myself the strength of the India-UK partnership".
"Our economic relationship is thriving and we want to expand our £16 billion bilateral trade, generating jobs and developing skills," Field told members of the Indian Journalists Association.
He said the UK was one of the largest G20 investors in India and Indian companies have already created 110,000 jobs in the UK, making them Britain's second largest international job creator.
Field said there were 1.5 million Indians in the UK who contribute richly to the British society.
Over 470,000 Indians come to the UK each year to visit, study or do business in the country.
"And with no cap on student visas, we continue to attract the best and brightest students to our world class universities - 160,000 Indian students over the past ten years," Field said.
He also said that Britain's strong relationship with India will continue even after Brexit.
"Our message is that it is business as usual," he stated.
Bobby Bawa