For the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Nick Clegg, it was Bangalore all the way over the other two major cities he visited when it came to taking back home impressions of the achievements made by India as well as the potential to be harnessed.
It is “a city of youth, innovation, vibrant, entrepreneurism, somewhat iconoclastic, slightly irreverent,” is how Mr. Clegg described the city, at the formal inauguration of the U.K. India Business Council’s (UKIBC) centre here on Wednesday. One of the aspects he summoned in support of this observation was how Bangalore played host to marriage between research and industry.
Appreciating the strides made, particularly in the spheres of information technology, biotechnology and aerospace, Mr. Clegg went to say that Bangalore offered a “window to the future” of the country. For those who want to dip their toes in India of the future, Bangalore was the place, he declared.
Wrapping his schedule in the city, which included a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha and visiting the Aircraft Division of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., Mr. Clegg in a tweet said, “Bangalore is a shining example of how to harness tech expertise to create powerhouse for growth.”
It was the contrast that spoke volumes, he told a gathering of businessmen at the UKIBC event. While Delhi was the administrative and political capital, Mumbai was an extraordinary, throbbing city with its film industry, he said. A common feature of the country was the level of optimism aided by a young population, something, he said, would be “recipe of the velocity of change”.
Noting that his was the first major delegation from the U.K. after the Narendra Modi government assumed office, he said the visit was about building on the success achieved and strengthening the ties between the two countries. Education, environment, town planning and infrastructure were some of the areas where the U.K. could offer its expertise to India.
During his meeting with the Chief Minister, on potential investment in various fields, Mr. Clegg said Britain would soon a sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the State government for cooperation and investment in IT, manufacturing, aerospace, and science and technology. Mr. Siddaramaiah said an MoU would be signed between Karnataka and Britain for mutual cooperation in various subjects.
The Chief Minister also welcomed the £1 billion line of credit extended by the U.K. Export Finance to support Indian infrastructure projects such as the Bangalore–Mumbai economic corridor.
