The “Living Bridge”: Cultivating a new golden era in UK-India relations
The India Business Group (IBG), an independent strategic advisory company, was established in 2014 by Amarjit Singh to foster the special relationship between India and the UK.
The founder and CEO of the India Business Group is a commercial solicitor by background and set up the organisation after observing a palpable interest from UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Hampshire in engaging with the Indian market.
Despite the desire to engage, they faced significant hurdles. “Part of the problem they faced was understanding, firstly, what the opportunities were, and secondly, how to navigate the corporate landscape, find business partners, and decide which cities and regions to penetrate,” Singh explains.
The pivotal moment arrived in 2013, when Singh received a call from Downing Street. He was selected as one of two UK lawyers to accompany then-Prime Minister David Cameron on a major trade mission to India. This extensive trip, designed to “sell ‘UK PLC’” and involving over 100 delegates from diverse sectors, proved to be a transformative experience.
It laid the groundwork for the India Business Group, which was formally established in 2014. “Our goal was to support, handhold, and guide new market entrants,” Singh states. The core ethos was to provide practical frameworks, strategy, and, crucially, connections. As Singh puts it, “India is a deeply relationship driven market; building trust and engagement through contacts is essential.”
Promoting bilateral trade
Over the past eleven years, under the astute patronage and support of its chairman, Lord Patel of Bradford, the India Business Group has grown to involve over 100 senior advisors, researchers and consultants primarily based across India. Their work encompasses providing advisory support, facilitating trade roadshows, business conferences, and roundtables, all aimed at raising awareness of the numerous opportunities in both markets and promoting greater bilateral trade and business growth.
When asked how the IBG sets itself apart, Singh’s answer is direct: “It’s our deep focus on cultivating relationships and facilitating global partnerships by bringing key people together. It’s about working with like-minded organisations and entrepreneurs to make things happen and to unlock fresh business opportunities.”
This commitment to celebrating bilateral success led to the creation of the India Awards in 2017.
Coinciding with the UK-India Year of Culture, the awards were designed to fill a crucial gap in the market: while numerous awards recognised general excellence, there was a distinct lack of platforms specifically acknowledging “bilateral activities, impact, innovation, and partnerships specifically between the UK and India.” The India Awards were thus conceived to “promote and strengthen deeper ties between the UK and India.”
Their “raison d’être,” as Singh describes it, is to “celebrate, cement, and cultivate UK-India relations” by convening stakeholders, sharing insights, showcasing success stories, facilitating partnerships, and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators from both countries. “What Prime Minister Modi describes as the ‘living bridge’—the people-to-people connections that bind both of our countries,” Singh says.
UK-India Free Trade Agreement
The much-anticipated UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has catapulted UK-India relations into a new era.”It’s very positive, very upbeat, and very ambitious,” says Singh. The FTA is seen as a “new chapter and a game-changer for UK-India relations” and is being described as “comprehensive,” in boardrooms to describe the vast range of opportunities spanning trade in goods and services across both jurisdictions.
qqAnticipated to come into force next summer once ratified by the UK Parliament, with implementation continuing over several years, the FTA holds significant implications for various sectors. A frequently cited example is the substantial reduction in whisky and gin tariffs, set to be halved from 150 per cent to 75 per cent upon implementation, and further reduced to 40 per cent by year 10. This is a game-changer for UK distilleries aiming to tap into India’s vast consumer market of 1.5bn people – 20 times the size of the UK’s population.
However, there’s more to the relationship between India and the UK than just whisky. As Singh explains, there’s been a profound shift in India’s economic identity: “India is no longer just a back-office hub; it’s increasingly seen as a destination for design and innovation.”
He points to Apple’s strategic move to shift portions of its design and manufacturing operations, including chip design and iPhone assembly, into India as clear evidence of this trend. The exponential growth of India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs), which are offshore facilities of multinational corporations that perform functions such as R&D, further underscores this transformation, driven by India’s tech-savvy workforce and demographic dividend.
London leads the way
Over the past decade, Indian businesses have shown unwavering confidence in investing in the UK, with India retaining its position as the second-largest investor. Crucially, the Indian diaspora plays a pivotal role in strengthening these linkages. They are often viewed as a “cementing factor” in the bridge that binds the two nations together.
However, both sides need to be proactive in moving forward and capitalising on the opportunities offered as part of the FTA. “The time is now,” says Singh. “The responsibility lies with the business community to really convert the text and the framework of the trade deal into business growth strategy and concrete actions,” he notes. Ultimately, it is for the entrepreneurs and business communities in both countries to move decisively into execution once the FTA is ratified and brought into effect.
City PM is proud to be acting as a media partner for The Indian Awards presented by the India Business Group. The event will be held on Monday, 22 September 2025, at the Houses of Parliament.