UK delegation meets Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal

CHANDIGARH: A delegation from the UK today met Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and conveyed that its country was focusing on Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan for cooperation in various fields, including renewable energy and solid waste management.

The seven-member delegation was headed by Parliamentary Under Secretary Baroness Verma, an official release said here.

The delegation told the Deputy CM that it wants officials of Punjab government to tie up with the UK and exchange details about procedures through which entrepreneurs of the UK could come and study the investment scenario in Punjab for making investments in these sectors, the release said.

The Deputy CM told the delegation that he would be glad if companies of UK could come and share their technology and make investments in the field of solid waste management in major urban centres of Punjab, it said.

He told the delegation that another area of mutual cooperation and benefit for both, UK and Punjab, is the area of creation of infrastructure to harness solar energy.

He said requisite skill transfer was needed in this regard and this sector would greatly benefit if companies from UK share their expertise on this subject with Punjab and invest in this sector.

Verma also interacted with industry representatives from the region at a session on 'Strengthening UK Trade with Punjab and Haryana', the release said.

Verma said, "Though India is comfortably placed in skill training at the basic level, the country, especially northern states of Punjab and Haryana, lack specialised skill sets which are imperative to enable them to achieve their future goals including the new government's dream project-- Make in India Campaign. We can open joint centres of excellence or host delegations in both countries."

"UK is very pleased with the newly gained certainty and consistency in business environment and policy making in India reinforced by Narendra Modi's 'Make in India campaign'," Verma said.

Both countries need to work collectively on climate change, Verma added.

"Further, 65 per cent of India's population is young, which is a huge asset, but India needs to figure out how to use this as a resource and UK can be a great source of learnings in this regard," she said.

"We really take India very very seriously and hence we are India's 4th largest investor and aspire to become No.1," she said.