The UK-based Compass Group, world's leading food service and support services organisation with a global workforce of four lakh, plans to have its Indian corporate office in Chennai, Mike Nithavrianakis, Deputy High Commissioner, British Deputy High Commission in Chennai, said.
The company already employs 8,000 persons in India and is growing very fast.
Likewise, the UK-based Interserve has entered into real estate business through a joint venture with SSPDL in India, and Vodafone has strengthened its position in Tamil Nadu by acquiring rights for 3G services.
Similarly, Indian companies such as TVS Logistics and Take Solutions have acquired companies in UK. With Indian companies looking more global, the UK is hopeful of attracting investments even from medium and small enterprises in the economically stronger southern States, Mr. Nithavrianakis told The Hindu on Friday.
To accelerate progress in UK-India business relations, the UK Trade and Investment Division of the British Deputy High Commission has, over the last year, been carrying out programmes in Kochi, Trivandrum, Mysore, Vishakapatnam and Coimbatore, for reaching out to emerging cities, Mr. Nithavrianakis, who spends 50 per cent of his time on matters of trade and investment, said.
The outreach programmes have been very successful from the communication point of view.
Business relations with Indian companies are shaping up in a way UK has envisaged.
The UK has just come out of recession and the Indian economy is growing phenomenally.
With the support of Confederation of Indian Industry, the UK Trade and Investment wing is in the process of identifying areas of collaboration, he said.
The UK can be helpful in expansion of the Indian education sector that is witnessing a rapid transformation. Though UK universities may not establish their own campuses, their tie-ups with Indian colleges and universities will be scaled up for enhancing competitiveness, he said, exuding optimism to sustain the partnership of equals for mutual benefit. The UK is keen on attracting the best companies and best talent from India.
