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Manchester india partnership
The Manchester India Partnership (MIP) is a dynamic, award-winning collaboration connecting two of the world’s most ambitious and fast-moving economies: India and Greater Manchester.
Established in February 2018, the Manchester India Partnership brings together private businesses, academia and the public sector across both regions to strengthen trade, investment, education, culture and innovation. At its core, the partnership is about creating practical opportunities – helping businesses expand, talent connect, ideas travel and long-term relationships flourish.
India is one of the UK’s primary sources of foreign direct investment and one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Greater Manchester, the UK’s fastest-growing city region, offers scale, innovation strength and global connectivity. Together, the opportunity is significant and growing.
What People Say About Us
Manchester has always been at the forefront of innovative design and since opening our Manchester facility we have grown our talented team and business offering. To drive R&D we are hoping to work collaboratively with the city region’s advanced material experts at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre.
Sreeram Venkateswaran, Hero Global Design
Building connectivity between India and the North of the UK
Establishing direct connectivity between Manchester and India has been a top priority for the Manchester India Partnership since its inception.
Manchester is already the sixth largest gateway to India in Europe, underpinned by strong business links and a large Indian diaspora across the North of England. These foundations continue to drive demand for direct air services.
In 2025, IndiGo launched its first European route, with direct flights from Manchester Airport to Mumbai, marking a major milestone in UK-India connectivity. Following strong demand, the service has since expanded to include direct flights to Delhi, further strengthening commercial and cultural links between India and Greater Manchester.
India’s new Consulate General also opened in Greater Manchester early in 2025. Serving the North of England, the consulate eliminates the need for regional businesses and residents to travel to Birmingham for consular services, while placing Greater Manchester firmly on the map for Indian investors and institutions.
Trade and investment: aligned ambitions, shared opportunity
Greater Manchester is ideally placed to capitalise on the UK–India Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to boost bilateral trade by £25.5 billion annually, add £4.8 billion to the UK economy and deliver £2.2 billion in additional wages.
India’s national growth initiatives – including National Green Hydrogen Mission/Solar PV Module PLI Scheme – align closely with Greater Manchester’s strengths in health, digital and technology, advanced manufacturing and energy.
This alignment is already translating into real investment and job creation.
Global Business Process Management provider Firstsource strengthened its UK commitment through a major investment in the North of England. In 2022, the company pledged investment to create around 1,000 new jobs across South Wales, the Midlands and cities in the Northern Powerhouse — reinforcing the North’s role as a strategic base for Indian firms scaling in the UK.
Research and innovation at the heart of the partnership
Enhanced connectivity between Manchester and India has also accelerated knowledge exchange, research collaboration and innovation.
Indian-owned IT services giant Tech Mahindra has established and continues to grow its ‘Headquarters of the North’ in Greater Manchester. Working in collaboration with the University of Salford and other digital experts, Tech Mahindra has created an innovation hub supporting technology startups as they test, develop and scale new ideas and concepts.
This spirit of collaboration extends beyond business.
The South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum, developed in partnership with the British Museum, is the UK’s first gallery dedicated to the South Asian diaspora. Through immersive exhibits and personal stories, it explores six themes celebrating South Asia’s rich history, culture and lasting influence in the UK: Past & Present, Lived Environments, Science & Innovation, Sound, Music & Dance, British Asian and Movement & Empire
Education and skills: shaping the future workforce
Education and talent development are central to the Manchester India Partnership’s mission.
Manchester India Partnership facilitates new opportunities for students in both Manchester and India through knowledge exchange, joint programmes and employment pathways. These relationships are already delivering impact:
- The University of Bolton has partnered with the Karnataka State Higher Education Board and Apollo Hospital
- The University of Salford has signed an MoU with the Karnataka State Higher Education Council in 2019
- The University of Salford also partners with the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, one of Asia’s leading business school.
In recognition of her extraordinary contribution to music and her role in inspiring future generations, the University of Salford awarded renowned Bollywood singer Asha Bhosle an Honorary Doctorate.
Together, these collaborations support disciplines critical to the future of industry, including smart cities, health and wellbeing, biosciences, advanced manufacturing and robotics.
Tourism, sport and culture: deepening people-to-people ties
India’s tourism market has grown rapidly since 2017. With over 20 million Indian nationals living across the world, outbound travel from India continues to increase, generating nearly 17 million outbound trips each year. Indian visitors to the UK now spend more than £400 million annually.
Greater Manchester is uniquely positioned to capture this opportunity. Around 500,000 people of Indian origin live across the North of the UK, making Manchester a natural gateway to the region and an ideal base for visiting destinations such as York, Chester, Liverpool, the Lake District and the Peak District.
Sport and culture play a powerful role in strengthening these ties. Manchester is home to two of the world’s most recognisable sporting brands – Manchester United and Manchester City – as well as Old Trafford Cricket Ground, one of the UK’s most iconic venues and home to Lancashire County Cricket Club.
Sector Expertise
Manchester isn’t just a great UK city, it’s a globally connected powerhouse.
Advanced materials & manufacturing
Home to global leaders in sustainable packaging, technical textiles, surfaces and coatings, composites and light alloy, the city is driving the next industrial revolution.
Creative & media
Greater Manchester is the UK’s leading creative and media cluster outside London, with a £5bn ecosystem where world-class creativity collides with advanced technology.
Financial, professional & business services
Greater Manchester is home to the largest financial, professional and business services (FPBS) sector outside London, contributing 20% of the local economy.
Life sciences & health innovation
Greater Manchester is one of the UK’s leading life sciences regions, combining world-class clinical research, real-world data excellence and a uniquely connected health and innovation ecosystem.
Low carbon
Greater Manchester is fast-tracking to carbon neutrality by 2038, creating major opportunities in clean energy, hydrogen, batteries and smart systems within a live urban testbed for scalable low carbon innovation.
Digital, cyber & AI
With world-class businesses, a deep tech talent pool and strong industry collaboration, Greater Manchester is a city region where digital ideas scale globally.
A partnership built for the future
The Manchester India Partnership exists to turn ambition into action – supporting businesses, institutions and communities to collaborate, invest and grow.
As trade links deepen, connectivity strengthens and new opportunities emerge, MIP will continue to play a central role in shaping one of the UK’s most important international relationships.
The opportunity between India and Greater Manchester is real, proven and accelerating. The Manchester India Partnership is here to help unlock it.
