UK trade body offers permanent exhibition space to CII

LONDON: A UK trade body has offered permanent space for India's industry chamber CII at its trade centre in Midlands for showcasing products and technology in a bid to promote SMEs exchanges between the two countries.

The Leicestershire Asian Business Association (LABA) announced permanent exhibition space for CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) at its trade center for showcasing products and technology by members companies of India's leading trade and industry body interested in finding business partners in the Midlands, the house of manufacturing industries in the UK.

The announcement comes soon after the CII's annual CEOs delegation, led by S Gopalakrishna, President CII and Executive Vice Chairman Infosys, visited the UK on a three-day bilateral trade and investment promotion agenda.

Growth of SMEs is key to the economic development of both India and the UK and to support SMEs on both sides was key to all discussions held during the visit.

In the last three years, CII has taken a number of SME delegations to the UK with each one of them travelling to Midlands with the objectives of finding business partners and technology and R&D in advanced manufacturing.

The announcement made by Uday Dholakia, Chairman LABA, is a step in right direction and comes at a time when governments in both countries are also working closely to take business and economic partnerships between India and the UK to the next level.

Dholakia is also the President of recently launched National Asian Business Association, an umbrella organisation for all Asian Business networks in the UK, supported by the country's government.

The CII has welcomed LABA's offer saying it reiterates strong partnerships that CII and its member companies have with the Midlands in the UK.