- Over 750 jobs and 80 apprenticeships among investment and employment commitments highlighted during the mission
- Two Northern university campuses opened in India, alongside new partnerships spanning research, healthcare innovation, skills and student opportunities
- New commercial, healthcare innovation and skills agreements open doors for Northern businesses
- Tourism partnerships and plans for future visits lay the foundations for a lasting relationship between India and the North
The North of England’s first joint Mayoral mission to India has highlighted hundreds of new jobs, delivered new commercial agreements and international partnerships, and laid the foundations for a lasting economic relationship with one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies.
Bringing together Northern Mayors and almost 200 representatives from business, universities, tourism, culture and sport, the landmark mission demonstrated the North’s collective strengths and opened new opportunities for trade, investment, innovation and collaboration following the UK–India Free Trade Agreement.
The mission has highlighted 763 jobs, 80 apprenticeships, two international university campuses and new partnerships spanning research, healthcare innovation, advanced manufacturing, skills and student opportunities, with further opportunities being developed through relationships established in India.
Investment, trade and jobs
Among the investment and commercial outcomes announced or highlighted during the mission:
- Hexaware Technologies: A £25 million UK expansion programme supporting 240 jobs in Leeds and 420 in Greater Manchester, alongside a new Design and Innovation Centre at SISTER.
- RavenAI: Almost £7.5 million of investment and 20 specialist jobs through a new UK base at DiSH in Greater Manchester.
- Infosys: A commitment to recruit 80 apprentices in Greater Manchester as part of its work on the NHS PeoplePortal.
- Sage: Newcastle-headquartered Sage announced 128 new graduate and apprenticeship opportunities across the North East and India, with 83 new recruits in Newcastle and 45 positions in Bengaluru, strengthening digital links, knowledge-sharing and technology career pathways between the two markets.
- AssetCool: Batley-based AssetCool secured its first commercial licence with India’s APAR Industries, opening new markets for Yorkshire-developed technology that increases the capacity and efficiency of electricity networks.
- Low Carbon Materials: County Durham-based Low Carbon Materials progressed plans for a new green supply chain in India, exploring a supply partnership with Indian start-up Ground Up for biochar used in its carbon-negative concrete additive ACLA.
- Optalysys and Wilson Power Solutions: Further international expansion by Yorkshire businesses, including a new engineering team in Bengaluru for Yorkshire-based Optalysys and a £21 million transformer manufacturing facility near Chennai for family-owned Wilson Power Solutions.
- Further commercial opportunities: Businesses from across the North are continuing to develop relationships established during the mission. Three Cheshire and Warrington businesses joined the delegation alongside the University of Chester, with promising commercial leads now being progressed after meetings with senior business leaders and potential partners in India.
- ISS India: A new international trade centre opened in Bengaluru, working in partnership with ISS Airview at Newcastle Airport to support North East and Indian businesses looking to establish, trade and grow in each other’s markets.
- Strengthening existing business relationships: The mission also strengthened relationships with major companies including JSPL, JSW Steel, Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Power, with discussions spanning advanced manufacturing, health innovation, energy, decarbonisation, technology and innovation.
Research, universities and innovation
Representatives from 16 Northern higher education institutions participated in the mission, strengthening relationships with Indian universities, businesses and research partners.
Key achievements include:
- Two international campuses: The University of Liverpool officially opened its Bengaluru campus, while the University of York celebrated the first month of its Mumbai campus.
- One further university centre planned: The University of Manchester announced plans for a major new education, research and innovation centre in Bengaluru.
- New academic partnerships: New agreements and collaborations involving the universities of Manchester, Salford, Huddersfield, Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam will support joint research, staff and student exchanges, new progression routes and the development of academic programmes. .
- Scholarships and student opportunities: Four universities in Greater Manchester will offer GREAT Scholarships 2027 to Indian students planning to pursue one-year taught postgraduate courses in the UK. The participating institutions are Manchester Metropolitan University, the Royal Northern College of Music, the University of Manchester and the University of Salford. The University of York Mumbai also launched the Mayor’s Gateway Scholarship, initially supporting two students from Mumbai to study in York, with additional work experience opportunities connecting students with York and North Yorkshire’s businesses and industries.
- University of Manchester, Science Gallery Bengaluru and Manchester Museum: signed an MoU focused on increasing cultural collaboration.
- Two established research relationships strengthened: The University of Leeds with IIT Kharagpur and Durham University with IIT Madras.
- Health innovation: Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber signed an agreement with IKP Knowledge Park in Hyderabad’s Genome Valley, establishing a new Yorkshire–Telangana Innovation Bridge. The partnership will connect Northern businesses with one of India’s largest life sciences clusters, opening routes to commercial partners and markets, while helping Indian innovators access Yorkshire’s NHS innovation networks, universities and industry expertise.
- Biomanufacturing: County Durham-based Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) signed a Letter of Intent with India’s Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council to establish a strategic UK-India Biomanufacturing Partnership, with plans to accelerate biotechnology innovation, scale-up and commercialisation.
- Technical textiles and skills: The University of Huddersfield signed an agreement with the Indian Technical Textile Association, while Huddersfield’s Textile Centre of Excellence signed a Letter of Intent with Sant Shiromani Ravidas Global Skills Park in Bhopal and an MoU with the Government of Telangana to support textile skills training, workforce development and industrial collaboration.
Tourism, culture and connections
The mission also brought together tourism, cultural and sporting partners to build relationships that extend beyond trade and investment.
- Tourism: VisitBritain and Northern destination partners promoted the region to Indian travel buyers through destination showcases and business-to-business engagement in Delhi and Mumbai. The events reached 150 leading Indian tour operators and a number of leading travel trade media representatives, showcasing destinations across the North and developing opportunities for new itineraries, bookable experiences and longer-term commercial partnerships.
- Sport: Northern leaders joined a Premier League NEXTGEN Coach Programme event in Mumbai to build sporting and visitor economy connections with India. With 144 million people in India watching the Premier League, the mission provided an opportunity to use the North’s footballing heritage and clubs including Newcastle United and Sunderland A.F.C. to showcase the region to potential visitors.
- Next steps: Indian travel buyers and media will visit Manchester in November for Spotlight Manchester: Gateway to Northern England and North Wales, providing an opportunity to experience the wider Northern offer and progress relationships established during the mission.
- Culture: Opera North is exploring opportunities to take its Orpheus: Monteverdi Reimagined production to India, alongside new commitments with South Asian Arts-UK to nurture the next generation of musicians and music creators.
- Creative industries: The mission supported the wider ambitions of The Great North Creative, backed by £2 million of government funding to strengthen the North’s international creative offer and support growth across the sector.
Building a lasting partnership
The mission marks the beginning of a longer-term relationship, with Northern Mayors and partners now focused on converting new connections into investment, jobs, trade and opportunities back home.
Businesses and institutions from across the North are already progressing commercial leads and relationships established during the mission, while Northern regions will continue to work together to engage with Indian businesses and partners. Opportunities are also being explored to welcome a return Indian delegation to the North in 2027.
The mission also strengthened relationships between Northern and Indian regions. Yorkshire’s three Mayors met Telangana’s Chief Minister to discuss closer cooperation on trade, investment and economic growth, alongside the practical agreements secured during their programme in Hyderabad and Mumbai.
Together, the commercial leads, academic partnerships and planned return activity provide a platform for a genuinely two-way relationship, helping Northern businesses and institutions grow their presence in India while attracting more Indian investment, talent, visitors and partnerships to the North.
Chair of The Great North and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said:
“The North of England has always been a place of big ideas, ambition and people who make things happen. This mission has shown the North at its best: confident, united and outward-looking, demonstrating what we can achieve when we come together on the international stage.
“We’ve seen new investment, skilled jobs, businesses opening doors to new markets and our universities building partnerships that will create opportunities for the next generation. But what matters most is what happens next. The agreements we’ve made and the relationships we’ve built must translate into real benefits for people and businesses back home.
“We want to see more Indian businesses investing in the North, more of our businesses succeeding in India, and more students, visitors and partners building lasting connections between our communities.
“This is just the beginning. We have an opportunity to build a lasting partnership with India that creates jobs, drives growth and delivers greater prosperity for communities right across the North.”
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said:
“India is the fastest growing G20 economy, and I want the Liverpool City Region to be at the front of the queue when it comes to the opportunities for improved trade with the UK.
“Liverpool already has a strong brand, so this mission was all about putting our region firmly on the map, building on the strong links that already exist and showing Indian businesses and investors why the Liverpool City Region is a great place to do business, invest and build for the future.
“We’ve already seen what can happen when we build the right relationships abroad, and I hope this visit opens the door to many more.
“This is about backing our region’s future and bringing new investment, jobs and opportunities that benefit the people who live here.”
Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:
“Our trade mission to India has delivered over 600 new jobs and tens of millions in investment that will benefit the people and businesses back in Greater Manchester. We know that to create good growth at home we have to attract investment into Greater Manchester.
“I am always proud to represent our city region on the global stage and talk to people about what makes it such a fantastic place. The last mayoral trade mission to India was in 2019 and since then we’ve seen the signing of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement and the establishment of the Consulate General for India in Manchester. And with the largest population and one of the world’s fastest growing economies, India represents a huge opportunity.
“But our relationship is about more than just trade and investment. We’re strengthening our ties in innovation, culture and sport, building on sectors where we have expertise – as well as our shared love of cricket.
“That’s why it’s so important to come out and engage with Indian businesses and open up new opportunities for those based in Greater Manchester.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:
“Yorkshire and India are old friends. You see it at Headingley, where a 19-year-old Sachin Tendulkar became our first overseas player. You see it in the mills where families who came from India kept our textile industry going; in the Indian restaurants on our high streets; in the Diwali celebrations in our towns and cities; and in the thousands of Indian students who choose our universities every year.
“More than 80,000 people of Indian heritage call Yorkshire home. They are part of the fabric of our great county. I want them – and every Indian business, student and visitor thinking of coming here – to know they are valued, welcome, and safe in Yorkshire.
“This trade mission is about turning that old friendship into new economic opportunity. With the free trade deal now in force, and with Indian businesses creating hundreds of good jobs here in West Yorkshire, now is the time to build on that momentum, back our importing and exporting businesses, and ensure the benefits of good growth are felt in every postcode.”
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said:
“The strongest partnerships are built between people and places who share ambition. South Yorkshire and Telangana are both looking ahead with confidence, backing innovation, investing in people and building economies fit for the future.
“South Yorkshire has so much to offer. We’re home to world-leading advanced manufacturing, pioneering research and some of the brightest talent anywhere in the country. The skills, expertise and innovation we have here are helping solve global challenges and creating opportunities for future generations.
“By strengthening the ties between our regions, we can share ideas, build new opportunities for trade and investment, and create the conditions for even more good jobs and growth in the years ahead.”
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
“It doesn’t matter whether you sit down to enjoy a cup of Yorkshire Tea or chai, our connection with India runs deep.
“This historic trade mission takes our shared history and transforms it into fresh opportunities for both Yorkshire and India.
“Working together as one team across Yorkshire allows us to unlock new trade, create high-quality career pathways back home and deliver on devolution.”
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:
“From education to tourism, it’s fantastic to see our renewed relationship with India delivering for the North, supporting hundreds of jobs and driving investment.
“I saw first-hand how the efforts of our Northern mayors and businesses on this mission helped connect British expertise, creating partnerships to generate growth in the North for years to come.”
James Cundy, Head of Mid-Market Corporate and Structured Finance at HSBC, said:
“HSBC was proud to sponsor the Great North Mayoral Mission to India, bringing together businesses, universities and civic leaders to strengthen the connections between the North of England and one of the world’s most dynamic economies.
“The mission has demonstrated the scale of opportunity created by the UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, from new investment and skilled jobs to partnerships in innovation, education, healthcare and advanced manufacturing.
“HSBC has been supporting UK-India trade and investment and we’re delighted to help Northern businesses turn ambition into action. We look forward to building on the relationships established during the mission and supporting a lasting, two-way partnership that drives growth and creates opportunities for communities across the North.”
