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Greater Manchester now benefits from direct flights to Mumbai, a new Indian Consulate, and will look to maximise growth opportunities with the Indian market.
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At an event held at Emirates Old Trafford on 9th July leaders, including Cllr Bev Craig, committed to strengthen Manchester – India ties in sectors including technology, life sciences, culture, and sport.
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The event follows the publication of the Government’s new Industrial Strategy, Trade Strategy, and UK-India Free Trade Agreement.
This week the Manchester India Partnership hosted senior delegates alongside representatives of the British and Indian Government to agree next steps on deepening trade and investment ties.
Emirates Old Trafford provided a fitting backdrop for the event, where England Women hosted India Women in the Vitality T20. The historic match marked the first women’s international at Lancashire for a decade, with the venue’s connection to India further strengthened through Lancashire Cricket’s partnership with Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League.
The growth focused event included leaders from business, sport, culture, tourism, and higher education.
Attendees, which included Leader of Manchester City Council, Cllr Bev Craig, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia and the British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India, Harjinder Kang, Consul General of India in Manchester, Vishakha Yaduvanshi, and MIDAS’ Managing Director Joe Manning, agreed to work together to promote Greater Manchester opportunities in the Indian market.
Key upcoming activity will include MIDAS leading delegations to showcase the city’s £5bn technology opportunity at Bengaluru Tech Summit in November 2025 and Nasscom Tech Leaders in Mumbai in February 2026; and deepening the Health Innovation Manchester partnership with the Government of Telangana at BioAsia in Hyderabad in February 2026.
This builds on last week’s launch of IndiGo’s direct flight between Manchester and Mumbai, which is IndiGo’s first European route, creating the North’s only direct flight to India’s financial capital.
India’s new Consulate General also opened in Greater Manchester earlier in the year. 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.
Its presence signals the Indian government’s recognition of Greater Manchester’s potential and commitment to driving further trade & investment. Backed by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, it underscores the national support for a growing UK-India relationship rooted in Greater Manchester.
These developments mean that 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.
Greater Manchester has already proved it can attract major Indian investment, with companies including Tech Mahindra, Hero Cycles and HCL Technologies, creating jobs across the city-region.
Alongside the Manchester India Partnership, the event was co-hosted by Manchester Airports Group, MIDAS, Marketing Manchester, Business Growth Hub, and Emirates Old Trafford.
Leader of Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority portfolio lead for economy, business and inclusive growth, Cllr Bev Craig, said:
“Investment from India is creating real economic growth across Greater Manchester. We have big plans for 2025 and 2026 to showcase our strengths in sectors like digital, technology, and life sciences. Our £78 billion economy, world-class universities and excellent location make us the perfect base for Indian companies wanting to access UK and European markets.
“We’re already seeing remarkable growth with major Indian investments from companies such as Tech Mahindra, Hero Cycles and HCL Technologies. The Manchester India Partnership will continue to help create long-term growth and jobs across our communities.”
Simon Arora, Co-Chair of the Manchester India Partnership, said:
“With over 50,000 people of Indian heritage calling Greater Manchester home and India now our fastest-growing partner for service exports worth £337 million to our regional economy, this partnership represents a pivotal moment for Manchester-India relations, building on seven years of coordinated engagement since we established the Manchester India Partnership.
“The recent progress between the two regions demonstrates the growing importance of the Manchester-India corridor. These developments, create the perfect platform to forge lasting partnerships that will drive innovation.”
Jo Ahmed MBE, Co-Chair of The Manchester India Partnership, said:
“We look forward to strengthening trade and investment ties between Manchester and India and showcasing the fantastic opportunities Greater Manchester has to offer.
“With our strong track record of attracting Indian investment and new infrastructure in place, including direct flights to Mumbai and the new Consul General of India in Manchester, we’re perfectly positioned to build even stronger economic partnerships.
“This partnership will focus on sectors where Greater Manchester excels and where we can offer real value to Indian businesses looking to expand into Europe.”
