13 -15 September 2008
Jack Straw
UK Minister for Justice

Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, UK Minister of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor visited India from 13-15 September 2008. The visit focussed on sectors such as legal services and counter-terrorism cooperation. In Delhi Jack Straw was also the Chief Guest at the Iftaar to be hosted by the British High Commissioner in India, Sir Richard Stagg, on 14 September 2008.


30 - 31 July 2008
Hazel Blears
Minister for Communities and Local Government

The British Minister for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, visited India from 30 -31 July 2008. Ms Blears arrived in Amritsar from Pakistan, where she visited the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh. Ms Blears' Delhi itinerary included meetings with Government of India Ministers and community representatives.The Minister also visited Birla Mandir, Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin and Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi

10 - 11 June 2008
Nemat Shafik
DFID’s Permanent Secretary

Nemat Shafik, DFID’s Permanent Secretary, visited India from 10-11 June. Nemat launched DFID’s new Country Plan in New Delhi and announced new aid support of Rs 1200 crore (£150 million) to the second phase of Government of India’s flagship programme for universal elementary education, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA 2). It was also announced that DFID would begin a new state development programme in Bihar.

28 - 29 April 2008
Professor Rick Trainor
President of Universities UK and Principal of King’s College London

Professor Rick Trainor, President of Universities UK and Principal of King’s College London, visited with a delegation of UK University Vice Chancellors to India to discuss collaborations on the massive expansion in India’s Higher Education Institutions under the XI Five Year Plan

23 - 25 April 2008
Tom Harris
British Minister for Railways

The UK Railways Minister, Tom Harris visited New Delhi with a business delegation from 23-25 April 2008 to explore business opportunities in the rapidly growing Indian railway sector. During his visit the British minister met Indian ministers and senior government officials. The minister addressed the seminar on "UK Railway Technology and Expertise" and launched the new "Business Excellence in Sustainable Development" brochure.

11 - 22 April 2008
David Alderman Lewis
Lord Mayor of the City of London

Lord Mayor of the City of London David Lewis arrived in India on April 11, leading a business delegation of over 50 City representatives on a 11-day visit as part of a concerted UK thrust to strengthen links in financial services sector with India. The delegation visited Chennai, Mumbai, Pune and Delhi. The delegation met top government and business leaders to encourage widening of contacts on a range of issues. These included the benefits to the Indian economy of liberalising financial services; 2-way investment with the UK; and partnerships between India and the City of London on issues such as financial inclusion, urban regeneration and enterprise development.

28 March 2008
Lord Rana, Baron of Malone

Lord Rana, Baron of Malone, was in the county of Antrim as the special guest of honour at a seminar in Chandigarh, organised to raise awareness about the perils of illegal migration. The seminar came at a time when the UK Government was making major changes to the UK's immigration system, including the launch of the Points-Based System for managing work and study in the UK, as well as increasing enforcement activity to tackle illegal migration.

20 March 2008
Tony Blair
Former British Prime Minister

The former British Prime Minister launched a new initiative Breaking The Climate Deadlock in New Delhi. The project is being conducted by The Climate Group, an independent, not-for-profit organisation that works internationally with government and business leaders to advance climate change solutions and accelerate a low carbon economy. They have convened, at the instigation of Tony Blair, a set of experts, to try to devise the framework capable of getting the developed world and the developing world, including China and India into a comprehensive deal to tackle climate change.

9 - 15 March 2008
His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, The Duke of York
UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment

The Duke of York visited New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore as part of an India tour supporting UK companies trading internationally and encouraging foreign investment. In Delhi, the Duke of York made company visits to Hero Honda Motors and Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. He met Mr Ashwani Kumar, Minister of State for Industry and Commerce. He also the Guest of Honour at the Queen’s Birthday party. In Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore the Duke of York met leading industrialists and businessmen and visited some top companies and British investments. In Mumbai, he also viewed select examples of British innovations at a themed Innovation reception.

4 - 7 February 2008
Liam Byrne
UK Home Office Minister of State for Borders and Immigration and Minister for the West Midlands

This was Liam Byrne's first visit to India. While in India, Mr Byrne travelled to Delhi and Chandigarh where the focus of the visit was to engage key stakeholders in the UK Government’s reform of its immigration system. Mr Byrne’s Delhi itinerary included meetings with Government of India Ministers and community representatives. The Minister also visited one of UKvisas’ visa application centres. In Chandigarh, Mr Byrne’s itinerary included meetings with the Governor, the Chief Minister and Director General Police. On Thursday 7 February, Mr Byrne was in Mumbai in his capacity as Minister for the West Midlands, where he met a cross section of key business people.

2 - 6 February 2008
Nigel Dodds
Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Northern Ireland, UK

Nigel Dodds visited India to strengthen bilateral investment, trade and tourism links. On his first visit to India the Minister held talks with the Commerce Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, and delivered a lecture at the Jawaharlal Nehru University on ‘Building a new future for Northern Ireland’. During his visit, the Minister also saw the work of Tourism Ireland and met with a group of Indian tour operators and discussed how best to promote Northern Ireland as a tourist destination. Mr Dodds met business leaders and visited HCL Technologies in Delhi and Firstsource in Mumbai, both of which have substantial operations in Northern Ireland.

20 - 21 January 2008
Rt Hon John Hutton MP
UK Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

John Hutton arrived in New Delhi with the British Prime Minister. He attended Entrepreneurship Summit at IIT Delhi and Climate Change CO round table. John Hutton also met with Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of Finance P Chidambaram. He also witnessed signing of two significant business MoUs in New Delhi on Sunday, 20 January 2008. The MoU between UKSkills and WorldSkills India was signed by CII General Secretary, Gen. Mehta, and the Chief Executive of UKSkills, Mr Simon Bartley. The Chairman of Ranbaxy, Mr Malvinder Singh, and the Chairman on i2india Holdings, Mr Chris Mathias, signed a Statement of Intent that focusses on commercialisation of intellectual property developed in India. The MoU will have a significant impact on India’s innovation ecosystem.

20 - 21 January 2008
The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP
British Prime Minister

The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP visited New Delhi for the first time in his capacity as the British Prime Minister to attend the India-UK annual Summit that was held on January 21, 2008. During his visit the British Prime Minister announced UK's plans to invest another £825 million pounds for development in India over the next three years. He also attended an Entrepreneurship Summit at the IIT Delhi. The Prime Minister was also awarded an honorary degree by the Delhi University. He also launched UK Sports Initiative at the Delhi University Sports Ground. Gordon Brown also met President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, External Affairs minister and Leader of Opposition.

14 - 21 January 2008
Lord Digby Jones
UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment

Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham, visited India from 14-21 January 2008. He, along with Lord Karan Bilimoria, Chairman, UK-India Business Council, lead a delegation of over 60 UK businesses. In Delhi, Lord Jones met the Minister of Commerce & Industry, Mr Kamal Nath, and Minister of Company Affairs, Mr Prem Chand Gupta. He also attended the CII Partnership Summit, visited the Auto Expo to meet the UK companies exhibiting there, and addressed seminars on Advanced Engineering and Infrastructure & Energy.