The annual meeting was chaired by Shri Suresh Prabhu, minister of commerce and industry, and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox. The meeting aimed to promote ongoing trade between the two countries to achieve mutual prosperity and enhance competitiveness. Alongside the ministerial meetings, the organisation runs Working Groups, chaired by business representatives from the UK and India.
The Technological Collaboration, Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Working Group was chaired by Pountney and Dr Gopichand Katragadda, Group CTO at Tata Sons. It was well attended by representatives from the Department of International Trade (DIT) and Confederation of Indian Industry, as well as participants from businesses such as Rolls Royce, BAE Systems and TWI. Attendees discussed how the two countries can collaborate as part of technical research and development.
The group’s discussion will input into a Joint Trade Review, which analyses trade barriers in the advanced manufacturing industrial sectors and gives advice on how to overcome them. The review will assess topics including how the UK’s Catapult Centre model could be used in India and how to develop skills in India.
Explained Pountney: “Renishaw is a world-leading manufacturing company, with expertise in digital manufacturing and additive manufacturing. 95% of Renishaw’s recorded sales in 2017 came from export, which puts us in a strong position to discuss and debate international trade.
“JETCO’s annual meetings and Working Groups provide a key opportunity for India and the UK to work together, supported at Government level. Renishaw’s expertise in the UK and India as an advanced manufacturer puts us in a great position to share our views on and insight into research and development.”
