London mayor to lead business team to India

Mumbai, Nov 23 (IANS) Mayor of London Boris Johnson will lead a senior business delegation to India next week to promote London and further enhance economic links between India and Britain, an official statement said Friday.

“Johnson will arrive in India on Sunday for a five−day visit during which he will visit New Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. The visit to India is the first of a series of planned overseas visits seeking to build on the international exposure received by London during the successful Olympics games earlier this year,” the statement said.

Johnson will meet investors, business leaders and politicians to explore areas of mutual economic benefit including financial services, infrastructure, transport, higher education, sport, tourism, digital, hi−tech and creative industries.

Johnson will address business audiences at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Indian School of Business and Amity University in these three cities.

In Mumbai, the mayor will call on Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and launch a carbon−based index at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) with BSE MD and CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan.

“Export markets are increasingly important to our future prosperity and when choosing where to locate and invest in Europe, I want London to be the number one choice,” Johnson said in the statement.

“The staggering growth of India’s economy and its rapid urbanisation presents massive mutual opportunities. My message over the course of this trip is that London loves India,” he added.

Johnson will be joined by a delegation of top business leaders representing key sectors such as retail, financial services and construction.

IANS 2012-11-23 19:12:04