The UK-India Round Table was established by Foreign Secretary Robin Cook and Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh in April 2000. They were looking for ways to regenerate and strengthen the bilateral relationship. Early meetings were chaired by Mr KC Pant and Lord Paul of Marylebone. The current Co-Chairmen are Lord Patten of Barnes and Mr Nitin Desai.

The Round Table consists of about 30 senior people, drawn equally from India and the UK, and include academics, businessmen, writers, politicians and journalists. All the UK members are invited personally by the Foreign Secretary. The two High Commissioners and a small number of officials from each side are ex officio members of the group.

The Round Table meets annually, alternately in India and the UK. It has now met eleven times, most recently in India.

The primary purpose of the Round Table is to discuss issues that may affect the bilateral relationship and to reflect on ways in which it can be strengthened. After each meeting the co-Chairmen submit recommendations to that end to their respective Governments. The aim of the Round Table is not to duplicate inter-governmental discussions but rather to put forward ideas from different perspectives. Outside experts are sometimes brought in to introduce the discussions on specific subjects.

The discussions of the Round Table range very widely, reflecting the fact that our ties are exceptionally broad and that we work together to our mutual advantage on both bilateral and multilateral issues, eg from visa policy and education to international security or the WTO. Many ideas have been submitted to respective governments on how closer cooperation might be achieved in the field of trade and investment. Culture, tourism, air services, science & technology, climate change, healthcare, educational exchanges and financial and legal services are among the many other issues that have been discussed. The Round Table has played a useful role; its discussions gave rise to the successful UK-India Education & Research Initiative.