India, UK may explore cooperation in next gen telecom sector

India and the UK are likely to explore ways of cooperation in fields of next generation telecommunication and stem cell, the government said today.
In a meeting here between Union minister Jitendra Singh and British High Commissioner James Bevan, the two countries discussed a new joint programme 'Invest', aimed at addressing basic needs of the lower strata of society in relation to health, sanitation and other basic amenities.
India and the UK share a traditional and historic relationship in the areas of science and technology based on mutual trust, partnership reciprocity and parity which could cover a wide gamete of basic and applied research, Singh was quoted as saying in a release.

The Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions said that various departments of India are already cooperating with departments of business, innovation and skills (BIS), British Council and Royal Society.
Singh told the High Commissioner that major areas of cooperation that can be covered included next generation telecommunication, solar voltaic material, weather science and stem cell, it said.
Bevan had called on Singh to convey his government's wishes to the Narendra Modi government.

Singh said the NDA government desires to work in close collaboration with all countries including the UK in a spirit of mutual coexistence, collaboration and cooperation.

Referring to an MoU with UK on civil services reforms, he said that officers from India are sent to London School of Economics, King's College, University of Manchester and other renowned institutions in UK on regular basis.
"Soon, the government of India will also be sending a task force to UK to discuss the new initiatives," he said.
Referring to the Ministry of Science and Technology under him, Singh also observed that the India-United Kingdom Science and Innovation Council has played a vital role in stepping up bilateral science and innovation collaboration from two million pounds in 2008 to 150 million pounds of co-funding from both sides.