Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India will visit Kolkata along with the biggest ever UK delegation to the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) 2023.

Anna Shotbolt, UK’s Deputy Trade Commissioner to South Asia will accompany the High Commissioner to BGBS.

A 55-strong delegation of senior figures from a wide range of businesses and institutions will represent the UK at BGBS in Kolkata on 21-22 November 2023.    

Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India said: “I am greatly looking forward to leading the UK’s  largest ever delegation to the Bengal Global Business Summit in Kolkata, including to learn about West Bengal’s pioneering green transition, for the electrification of its public transport system. I hope the summit will help British businesses to expand here and that companies from Bengal can enhance their footprint in the UK.”

Dr. Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to East and Northeast India said: “I would like to congratulate the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee and the Government of West Bengal for hosting the BGBS this year. Within days of my arrival in Kolkata, I’m delighted to have Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India leading one of the largest foreign delegations to BGBS 2023.  The UK-India 2030 Roadmap agreed by our Prime Ministers promised to transform trade and investment between the UK and India.  That’s what we are here to do.”

The UK, in collaboration with the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will facilitate a ‘B2B (Business-to-Business) UK Country session on ‘Building a Net Zero Future’ along the sidelines of the summit at ITC Sonar on 21 November. These discussions will enable participants to identify opportunities for future collaboration, research and innovation, and facilitate the expansion of trade and investment.

The UK is also organising a ‘Green Adda on a Tram’ with climate experts in Kolkata on 20 November.  The experts will participate in rich, insightful discussions on how to build on the already enriching partnership towards reducing emissions and creating new jobs.

The UK-India partnership is well and truly ‘Alive with Opportunity’. The Alive with Opportunity campaign which was launched earlier this month, is designed to showcase the strong bond between our two countries and further build on the continuous exchange of people, ideas and culture. As part of the UK’s ambitions to double trade with India by 2030, this campaign aims to stimulate interest and demand for UK goods and services, increase UK ability to grow their business through trade with India, and attract new Indian inward investment.

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The British High Commission invites applications from Indian women aged 18-23 for a chance to head the diplomatic mission for a day. The pan-India competition is being organised to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child.

To apply to be ‘High Commissioner for a Day’, applicants must record and upload a one-minute video on ‘how can young people best support tackling the global challenge of climate change?’ The video must be shared on either Twitter, Facebook or Instagram by tagging @UKinIndia and using the hashtags #DayoftheGirl. The deadline to apply is 22 September 2021.

Alex Ellis, High Commissioner to India, said: “The impact of Covid-19 on education around the world will be long term, particularly for girls. This is why at the UK-hosted G7 Summit earlier this year, leaders from around the world agreed ambitious global targets to get more girls into school. Empowering and educating girls is also one of Prime Minister Modi’s central campaigns. I am delighted to note that this year nearly 60% of UK’s Chevening fellowships and 52% of the scholarships for India were awarded to women.

The International Day of the Girl Child is an important moment to recognise that educating all girls everywhere is not just the right thing to do, it is one of the smartest investments we can make to build a better, more equitable world. Through the ‘High Commissioner for a Day’ competition, I want to shine a light on brilliant young women and for them to show their even younger peers in school, that anything is possible.”

The British High Commission has run the ‘High Commissioner for a Day’ competition annually since 2017. Last year’s competition was won by 18-year-old Chaitanya Venkateswaran, whose day as the High Commissioner included learning about gender representation in the media, interacting with senior police officers from Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, and launching the British Council STEM Tracer Study documenting the stories of Indian women scholars.

NOTE

• The UK and India are learning from each other and sharing expertise to ensure women and girls can reach their full potential around the world. In India, the UK is working hand-in-hand with state governments, law enforcement agencies, education authorities and British businesses to promote gender equality.

• The ‘High Commissioner for a Day’ competition is open to Indian women aged 18 to 23. The deadline to apply is 22 September 2021.

• Terms and Conditions:

• A jury at the British High Commission (BHC) will select the winner, who will be announced on @UKinIndia social media channels by 28 September. Only one entry per participant will be accepted. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. The High Commission’s decision is final and no correspondence relating to the above will be possible.

• By applying to the competition, participants transfer the copyright ownership of their videos to the BHC New Delhi. BHC may use these videos to produce content for future communication on its social media channels.

• Participants are reminded not to share personal details in their video, post or tweet. The BHC is not responsible for the data that participants make public on these platforms.

• The High Commissioner for a Day programme will take place in-person in Delhi (unless Covid-19 advice changes). We cannot fund travel or accommodation to Delhi as part of the competition. In case the winner is not from Delhi/NCR, it is the winner’s sole responsibility to ensure all Covid-19 protocols required for travelling to Delhi are properly followed.

• Our ambition is to host in-person meetings; however, this is dependent on the Covid-19 situation. In case Covid cases increase or the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare advises against in-person meetings in October, the programme may be run virtually.

Website: www.gov.uk/world/india | Hindi: www.gov.uk/world/india.hi

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The application window for the UK Government’s prestigious Chevening Scholarship programme for 2022-23 is now open. Aspiring scholars who are planning to study for a one-year master’s degree in British universities can apply.

Chevening Scholarships offer full financial support for one year to candidates applying for a master’s degree at any UK university – covering nearly 12,000 courses from more than 150 universities. The scholarship will cover: tuition fees for the selected course; travel expenses and visa fees; and a monthly stipend.

Alex Ellis, High Commissioner to India, said: “Chevening Scholarships offer a unique opportunity for the future leaders of India to study at some of the world’s best universities in the UK. Whatever your background, your geography, please apply for this chance to learn and experience the best of what the UK has to offer and in doing so, strengthen the living bridge between our two countries.”

India is home to the largest Chevening programme in the world. Chevening has been running the scholarship and fellowship programmes in India since 1983. It has helped more than 3,300 scholars and fellows from across India – including many first-generation learners – realise their dream of pursuing a world-class education and training in the UK. Many of these scholars and fellows have gone on to make remarkable contributions towards the prosperity of India.

Candidates can apply for any course of their choice. Further details, including on how to apply, can be found here.

Note:

• Applicants to Chevening Scholarships must have a minimum two years of work experience and a strong academic background. The deadline to apply is 2 November 2021.

• There are four Chevening alumni present in Prime Minister Modi’s current council of ministers – Piyush Goyal (Cabinet Minister for Commerce and Industry), Gajendra Shekhawat (Cabinet Minister for Jal Shakti), Anupriya Patel (Minister of State for Commerce and Industry), and Devusinh Chauhan (Minster of State for Communications).

• Other prominent Chevening Alumni include: Amitabh Kant (CEO, Niti Aayog), T.V. Narendran (Global CEO and MD, Tata Steel), Girija Vaidyanathan (Expert member, National Green Tribunal), Jayanti Srinivasan Ravi (Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Gujarat), Jayesh Ranjan (Principal Secretary-IT and Industries, Government of Telangana), Deepika Suri (Assistant Director General, Crime Against Women, Madhya Pradesh Police), Prerna Bindra (Wildlife Conservationist), Rahul Kanwal (News Director, Aajtak and India Today).

Website: www.gov.uk/world/india | Hindi: www.gov.uk/world/india.hi

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