UK team identifies areas of cooperation with Orissa

A high-level trade and investment delegation from UK will identify the companies in Orissa which can forge partnerships with the UK-based companies within the next 18 months.

The six-member delegation, which is on a two-day visit to the state, has already identified the contours of cooperation in areas like mining and advanced engineering, infrastructure, education and low carbon solutions.

“The potential areas for cooperation between UK and the state of Orissa exist in mining, infrastructure and education. In the next 18 months, we will possibly identify the companies in Orissa who can collaborate with their counterparts in UK”, said Sanjay Wadvani, British Deputy High Commissioner (eastern India).

Wadvani, who is leading the six-member delegation, said, the team from UK would visit the state regularly and hold talks with the state governments, industry bodies like Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and also the business leaders in the state.

He was briefing reporters on the sidelines of an interactive session on 'UK Trade and Investment: Exploring Partnership Avenues in the United Kingdom', organized here by CII.

“There are some real opportunities for the UK companies to do business in Orissa and it is for these companies to decide on the nature of the partnership with the firms in Orissa. The British High Commission will only play the role of a facilitator in this process”, said Wadvani.