UK-India can be an 'Unbeatable Combination" in skills and training

Responding to the Indian Government's "Skill India" campaign, a delegation of British professional qualification providers will visit India hereby this week.

The UK Trade and Investment team in India will lead representatives of the high powered organizations on a tri-city visit to Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad from 12 to 15th October.

The delegation includes the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI), Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and International Association of Book Keepers and Accounting Professionals (IAB, IAAP).

With India's renewed growth trajectory, there is a greater demand for professionally qualified staff. Demand for professionally qualified staff in India significantly outstrips supply. The UK is a world leader in providing educational resources from pre-school to university and beyond.

Qualifications and learning offered by these UK institutes are recognized by employers around the world. The UK also has a global reputation for financial services and London is the world's most important financial centre.

Kumar Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner Mumbai and Director General of UK Trade and Investment in India said "The UK's financial and professional qualification providers have already been active in India in areas such as accounting, insurance and wealth management. They have worked with Indian regulators, industry bodies and their Indian counterparts to develop qualifications tailored to the Indian market."

The India-UK financial partnership (IUKFP) was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley in July 2014. The partnership was created to examine priorities across the British and Indian financial and professional services industries, and recommend how we can improve cooperation between our governments. Financial training and qualifications is an important work-stream under the Partnership.

The delegation will begin their tri-city visit in Delhi where they will meet the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs and other private corporate and educational institutes. The delegation will also visit the GIFT city in Ahmedabad, India's first International Financial Centre, and financial regulators SEBI and RBI, and the Centre for Advanced Financial Research and Learning (CAFRAL) in Mumbai.