India hopes to reach a deal with Britain for facilitating short-term visas for Indian students, academicians and businessmen during Prime Minister Theresa May's visit, Acting High Commissioner to the UK Dinesh Patnaik has said.
"I am hopeful, certain things will happen," he said.
"I hope we will have a deal on Britain facilitating short-term visas for students, academicians and businessmen from Indiaand these categories should not be in the migration list," Patnaik told reporters.
Noting that May's visit is important for India, he said "This is her first bilateral visit and India is her first trip outside the continent. UK-India, we have a very very long umbilicalrelationship."
"It is an official visit and she will be heading a high-level 160-strongdelegation. The trade delegation also assumes importance because of the Brexit scenario," he added.
"Post-Brexit, they will need it and they want to increase trade outside EU. The discussion willfocus on framework of post-Brexit trade deal."
On the Indian side, he said "what we want is ease of doing business - access to the UK, both for students, academicians and businessmen."
He noted that a large number of tourists visit Europe but return home because of visa restrictions.
India wants Britain to extend visa concessions given to Chinese to be extended to Indians - 6 months to 2 years visa for 87 pound.
He said many companies here are shifting their jobs to India. In the next 3 to 4 months, about 2,000 jobs are expected to go to India.
(Reopens FGN 25)
UKIBC chair Patricia Hewitt described the findings as a sign of the UK "solidifying" its place as the number one G20 investor and job creator in India through FDI.
She said: "The Indian government's efforts to improve the business environment are clearly bearing fruit, and British businesses of all sizes and from across sectors have continued to spread right across this exciting and fast-changing market.
"As Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi said, the UK and India are an 'unbeatable combination'."
New Delhi proved the most popular investment destination for British firms in recent months.
Between April 2015 and September 2016, nearly a quarter (22.35 per cent) of British investments chose Delhi.
The state of Maharashtra, with the city of Mumbai, attracted the largest share of British investment (USD 7.47 billion) between 2000 and 2016.
The 'Sterling Assets India' report marks the start of a series of events planned by the CBI and UKIBC on the UK-India trade relationship to take place in both the UK and India over the next two years.
