Modi seeks relaxation of student visa in post-Brexit UK
NEW DELHI: Underlining economic challenges in the current global environment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India and the UK can leverage technological prowess to create new opportunities, while seeking investments in defence, manufacturing and aerospace sectors.
Speaking at the India-UK Tech Summit, Modi showcased his government’s initiatives in sectors like smart cities, startups and digital economy as he sought enhanced engagement with Britain. “Together, we can create a vibrant and thriving environment for new commercial applications with breakthrough technologies,” he said at the event, also attended by visiting UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
Modi added that both countries face numerous economic challenges in the current global environment which directly affect trade and commerce. “But I am confident that together we can leverage our scientific strengths and technological prowess to create new opportunities,” he said.
India, he said, is now the fastest growing large economy with the most open investment climate. “We also expect ‘Make in India’ to be a key sector of bilateral engagement. The UK as a leading player can benefit from our liberal FDI policies in defence manufacturing, aerospace and electronics engineering,” the Prime Minister said.
He said India’s vast traditional knowledge base can be coupled with UK’s modern scientific investigation to provide a holistic approach to preventive healthcare. “This can help address some of the modern lifestyle diseases that we face.”
The Prime Minister said even though the quantum of bilateral trade has remained at the same level for the past five years, investments in both directions have been robust. India, he said, is the third largest investor in the UK, and Britain is the largest G20 investor in India. Both countries support large numbers of jobs in each other’s economies.
Modi said the ‘Smart City’ mission aims to integrate digital technology into rapidly urbanising environment and there is already a high level of interest from the UK in projects in Pune, Amaravati and Indore.
“There is an opportunity for India and the UK to collaborate in the ‘Digital India’ and expand information convergence and people centric e-governance,” he added. India, he said, will soon have over a billion phone connections with an urban tele-density of around 154 per cent.
The country has 350 million internet users and the government is bringing in last mile connectivity to nearly 100,000 villages across the country. “Such rapid growth offers new digital highways and new markets for the UK and Indian companies to address,” Modi said.
The PM stated that education is vital for students and will define the country’s engagement in a shared future,”We must therefore encourage greater mobility and participation of young people in education and research.”
May, who arrived here on Sunday to pave way for UK’s first post-Brexit trade deal, however has said the UK has a “good system” for applications.
UK was already able to attract “the brightest and the best” from outside the EU, she said. “Nine out of 10 visa applications from India are already accepted.”
Bloomberg quoted her as saying that Britain has “a visa system for countries outside the European Union which ensures that the brightest and the best are able to come to the United Kingdom.The figures show that we issued more work visas to India than I think the US, Australia, Canada and China put together.”
UK’s new policy requires students to return home after their courses end, a move that has led to fall in Indian students enrolling in British universities by 50 per cent. (PTI)