As PM Modi readies for his Head of Government visit to the UK in November there are several important matters.
First, Britain must use the visit to help Britain get inward investment. PM Modi is familiar with the UK. We in UK are an incredible place to do business, and can help Indian companies be global. That is what we must showcase.
And given our focus on the Northern Powerhouse we should showcase places like Leeds. (It won’t be Manchester because the Chinese President will have been there the month before), and Midlands is well covered already and not the Northern Powerhouse, Cambridge is well known globally – we need to focus on the Northern Powerhouse and those cities who will get the most out of it and have a track record of Indian investment.
Second, we must lobby on issues of retrospective tax. Such tax on British companies is not good for India. And there is nothing wrong pointing that out.
Third, we must ensure the status offered to the Indian PM is the same as that to the Chinese President who will have visited the month before. The problem is the Chinese President is a Head of State whilst the Indian PM is only a Head of Government. Protocol accords differing treatment, but the problem is the Indian side, especially the press, will not see such subtleties. They will question about visits to Buckingham Palace, meetings with Royalty.
Over the three day visit, the final day will only have room for very little substantive meetings. There needs to be a major event on the first night for business leaders – this government being very focussed on business of course. Indeed, there would be nothing wrong with charging business leaders for such an event.
The second event can of course be the much rumoured Wembley Stadium event; and there is no shortage of people wishing to ingratiate themselves.
Thankfully, the Foreign Office officials handle such matters together with departments such as BIS, and so the visit with all its popularity will not become a circus but be focussed on British interests, but Britain must show it accords India the same status as China – and that can only come from British officials, not from British Indians alone.
