Bengal inks MoU with UK India Business Council

Kolkata: The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) with the aim to accelerate

industrial development in the state.

This collaborative partnership between the UKIBC and the state government will help to boost business and industrial development in the state by proactively developing the business environment and strengthening collaboration with British businesses in West Bengal.

The MoU was signed at a virtual roundtable by Vandana Yadav, state Secretary, Industry, Commerce & Enterprises Department & Managing Director, WBIDC and Kevin McCole, Managing Director, UKIBC in the presence of Nick Low, Deputy High Commissioner, British Deputy High Commission – Kolkata. WBIDC is the premier nodal agency of the state's Industry, Commerce and Enterprises Department .

Speaking on the occasion, Kevin McCole, Managing Director, UKIBC, said: "I am delighted to be signing this MoU today, deepening the UKIBC partnership with the Bengal government. I lived in Kolkata from 2005 to 2008, so it is particularly pleasing for me on a personal basis. As a long-term friend and follower of the State, I have to say that I have never been more impressed by the dynamism and determination of the political and bureaucratic leadership. This is one of the reasons why the UKIBC is so keen to engage and why so many UK businesses want to enter and expand their investment in Bengal. "

UK businesses such as BT, Diageo, Chivas Brothers, PwC, HSBC and Standard Chartered are already significant investors in the State.

The MoU was signed as part of a virtual roundtable, which examined measures to support businesses in a post Covid-19 world.