New Delhi [India], October 12 : South Yorkshire is looking to attract Indian investment across advanced manufacturing, sustainable aviation, energy, artificial intelligence (AI) and preventive healthcare, with the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) expected to strengthen business opportunities between the two countries, Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, said.
In an exclusive conversation with ANI on the sidelines of the 16th Session of the India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), Coppard said the region saw significant potential in India's growing economy and was keen to use the trade agreement to attract businesses and expand the presence of South Yorkshire companies in the Indian market.
The mayor said South Yorkshire had recently secured a seven-figure investment from Indian company Raghu Vamsey to create jobs in the region, driven by its expertise in advanced manufacturing.
“We are world leaders when it comes to advanced manufacturing, when it comes to energy, materials, sustainable aviation, defence,” Coppard said, adding that the FTA would support the region's ambitions in these sectors.
He said South Yorkshire was also preparing to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport and was keen to engage with Indian investors interested in sustainable aviation and new aviation routes into the United Kingdom.
The region is also seeking investment in energy and materials, while expanding opportunities in digital technology, AI, quantum computing and startups. Coppard highlighted the presence of companies such as ITM Power, which operates in the hydrogen sector, as an example of the region's capabilities.
South Yorkshire is also focusing on preventive healthcare, with the region having appointed a deputy mayor for health to work on developing its health economy, he said.
Explaining the decision to bring the mayors of northern England to India, Coppard said it was their first overseas visit as a group and that India had been selected because of the size of its market, the pace of economic change and the range of business opportunities.
“It's a fast-growing economy with huge opportunities, huge expertise and a huge range of areas. It's a really exciting market to be part of,” he said.
Coppard said the broader investment opportunity across northern England could be worth around 400 million pounds if the regions successfully capitalised on the opportunities available.
He also highlighted Sheffield's growth prospects, describing it as the UK's second-fastest-growing core city, and said South Yorkshire offered Indian companies access to skills and an established business ecosystem.
The mayor said the region was keen to work with Indian businesses in the coming years to expand investment and strengthen economic ties following the trade agreement.