More Indian students and businessmen will be welcomed into the UK, David Cameron announced today, as he scraps limits on immigration and speeds up the visa process.
The Prime Minister made the announcement as part of a deal that means India will make it easier for British companies to do business in the sub-continent.
He made the announcement after arriving in Mumbai ahead of the largest trade mission ever to travel overseas with a prime minister.
Speaking on the first day of his second visit to India as PM, Mr Cameron announced the creation of a new 'same-day' visa service for Indian businessmen.
The speedier service in response to unhappiness with the current system which can take three days or more to process applications.
He also said there was 'no limit' to the number of Indians who would be allowed to study at UK universities and stay on in graduate-level jobs after they qualified.
Speaking to workers at the Mumbai headquarters of the Anglo-Dutch Unilever group, Mr Cameron said: 'Britain is one of the most open, easy-to-invest-in countries in the world. We are incredibly welcoming.
'I am very proud of the fact that it is an Indian company, Tata, that makes the Jaguars and Land Rovers that are taking the world by storm.
'They also roll most of our steel and own Tetley Tea - and you don't get any more British than Tetley Tea. I am very proud of that.
'Britain is an open economy and we encourage that investment.'
Mr Cameron made clear that in return, he wanted India to tear down outdated barriers to investment to help UK-based companies in areas like insurance and banking to establish a foothold in the fast-growing economy.
'I think, in return, we should be having a conversation about opening up the Indian economy, making it easier to do business here, allowing insurance and banking companies to do more foreign direct investment into the Indian economy.
'There are still many rules and regulations in the Indian economy associated with how you did things in the past which, if you change them, will make your economy grow and deliver more jobs, more wealth, more prosperity across your country.
No comments:
Post a Comment