Baroness Sandip Verma, UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, visited India in mid November, covering Jaipur, Chandigarh and New Delhi. She was accompanied by a business delegation which includes representatives from the education/skills training and retail sectors, among others.
In Jaipur, the minister called on the Chief Minister of Rajasthan Smt Vasundhara Raje and delivered the keynote address at a CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) event on “Strengthening UK trade with Rajasthan.”
CM Raje and Baroness Verma held a meeting the Chief Minister's residence, and identified sectors for partnering that include renewable energy, transmission of energy, education, skill development, smart meters and small grids for power. She also told Raje that British investors have keen interest in investing in solar and other renewable energy resources, along with manufacturing of solar cells, metres and grids in Rajasthan. She offered the CM to share the experience of the British department of energy in supporting companies involved in renewable energy.
In Chandigarh, the minister called on the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Shri Sukbir Singh Badal and senior officials in the Haryana government.
The 7 member delegation lead by Baroness Verma, told the Deputy CM that it wants officials of Punjab government to tie up with the UK and exchange details about procedures through which entrepreneurs of the UK could come and study the investment scenario in Punjab for making investments in these sectors.
Verma also delivered keynote address at a CII event “Strengthening UK Trade with Punjab and Haryana” followed by the closing address at a panel discussion on UK education and Chevening Scholarships.
In New Delhi, she called on the ministries of the Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy; Parliamentarians active on climate change, and Dr R K Pachauri, Director General, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). She attended a round table discussion on energy efficiency and renewable organised by CII, and a Chevening-McKinsey round table on the economics of climate change organised by British High Commission (BHC).
Her visit is part of a series by senior British government representatives, and follows her participation in the Government of India’s regional Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in London last month.
