UK MINISTER, TRADE TEAM IN KOLKATA TO EXPAND BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT TIES

image0022The UK Minister for Business Engagement with India, and Energy and Climate Change, the Rt Hon Greg Barker MP, is leading a 16-member UK business delegation to Kolkata to further strengthen economic links between the UK and West Bengal and explore business opportunities in sectors like infrastructure, architecture, environment, water, renewable, education and skills. Mr Barker had accompanied the UK Prime Minister during his visit to Kolkata in November 2013.

The visiting UK companies will have focussed meetings with West Bengal-based companies and government officials to scope for business collaboration. In this context, the UK Trade & Investment is organising a seminar ‘UK and West Bengal in Partnership’ in Kolkata to showcase the expertise of UK business and provide a platform for West Bengal and UK companies to network and work towards business collaboration.

Speaking at the seminar, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Scott Furssedonn-Wood, said he was delighted that such a large and high-quality UK business delegation is visiting Kolkata. ‘It is a clear signal of the UK interest in doing more business with West Bengal. The Government of West Bengal has an ambitious vision for the future of this state. World-class British companies want to be a part of that future,‘ he said.

‘I am delighted too that Rt Hon Greg Barker MP is back with us in Kolkata on his third visit to the city. His role is a unique one in our government and demonstrates our determination to have a relationship with India that is strong, wide and deep,’ he added.

Delivering a presentation on private sector partnership at seminar, Mr Sam Sharpe, Head DFID India, said, ‘Economic development and poverty reduction are priorities for DFID.’ He added, ‘We have realigned our focus in India. We are shifting from providing grants to government projects to making loans and equity investment in private sector projects that help the poor. We will create more jobs, catalyse investment and contribute to development and growth.’

Apart from the business engagement in Kolkata, Mr Barker will also have a meeting with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. This is to follow up on the MoU signed by the UK Government and the KMC to work towards a low carbon and climate resilient Kolkata.  Under the MoU a plan of action has already been drawn up and the UK will provide technical assistance to KMC for developing the green growth strategy for Kolkata. This MoU was also signed during the November visit of the UK Prime Minister to Kolkata. The Minister will also visit Delhi and Mumbai.

 Profile of UK Companies

Bournville College (www.bournville.ac.uk)

Vocational Education, Skills

Bournville College, a 100-year old state-funded institution based in Birmingham, attracts over 15,000 students a year ranging from young people aged 16-18 through to adult learners. In the last reported financial year, the college worked with almost 800 employers in developing the skills of their workforce. As a fully accredited State College, inspections by Her Majesty’s Government’s Education Inspectorate [Ofsted] take place on a regular cycle, and the college is also subject to the rigorous quality frameworks of the awarding bodies. The UK Border Agency [UKBA] has granted the college Highly Trusted Sponsor status, further proof of the college’s impeccable credentials.

Bournville College set up its South Asia hub in Kolkata in September 2011 and are working in both the Public and Private sectors. A number of projects are under way in partnership with various State Government Departments (like Tourism, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare, Education, etc.) in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura and Andhra Pradesh. They are also designing and developing programmes for Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Centum Learning, Globsyn, InSkills, Indus Integrated and Brainware among others.

Bournville College can design and develop tailor made programme for its partners. They specialise in courses on Banking & Finance, Catering, Computing, IT, Construction, Retail, English Language, Hairdressing/Beauty, Healthcare Management, Hospitality, Tourism, Motor Vehicle Engineering, Pre-employment and many more.

Bournville College was invited to be part of Hon’ble Prime Minister David Cameron’s delegation to India in February 2013.

BSI Group (www.bsigroup.co.in)

Certification, audit and testing

BSI Group India represents Indian arm of British Standards Institution, UK. BSI Group established in 1901, operates in 147 countries & serves more the 70,000 clients worldwide across all the Industry Sectors. BSI Group is renowned for making Management System standards and has the credit of being author of 8 of the 10 leading Global Management Systems such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 20000, ISO 27001, ISO 22301, ISO 50001 and ISO 31000.

BSI Group provides following services

i. Management System Certification and Assessment

ii. Second and third Party Audits

iii. Management System Trainings & Six Sigma, Lean Management Trainings

iv. Risk Assessment and Workshops

v. CE Marking of Medical Devices

vi. Creation of New Private/public Standards, standard subscription (BSOL), Sale of Standards

vii. Testing Services under Kitemark Scheme

 

 

Cambridge English Language Assessments (www.cambridgeenglish.org)  

English Language, Vocational Education, Skills

Cambridge English Language Assessment is a not-for-profit department of the University of Cambridge. They are a world leader in language assessment and have been providing high quality English language exams since 1913, backed by one of the largest dedicated language research teams in the world. Over the last 100 years, they have developed cutting edge language assessments and have provided opportunities for English language / communication skill development.

Over 4 million candidates take Cambridge English Language Assessment exams in 130 countries every year. The organisation has a global network of 2,500 test centres in over 130 countries and Cambridge English Language Assessment exams are recognised and used by 12,000 organisations globally. They also provide for internationally recognised teacher training awards/qualifications and support the network of English language teachers globally.

In India, they are supporting both educational institutions and corporate houses in developing and assessing the language proficiency level of students and employees. Cambridge English Language Assessment is working with a number of State Governments like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh towards development of English language skills of students.

Manipal City and Guilds Pvt. Ltd (www.manipalcityandguilds.com)

Vocational Education, Skills

Manipal City & Guilds is an India-UK joint venture founded in 2009. It combines the strengths of Manipal Global Education Services, which has 50 years of steadfast focus in India’s education sector and a presence that includes 3 universities and over 30 institutions, and City & Guilds, a 130-year-old World leader in skills development that provides curriculum, course content, assessment, certification services and 600+ qualifications across over 80 countries.

Manipal City & Guilds support the government and industry not just in training, but also in quality assurance and management, qualification development, Train-the-Trainer programmes, assessment and certification services and policy expertise. They work with Government agencies, Sector Skills Councils, private businesses and other training companies to provide a range of services in vocational education.

Manipal City & Guilds partner with the Government and other key stakeholders to support policy development in the vocational education sphere. They provide job-oriented skills for the economically challenged youth, partnering with Government & NGOs, to ensure that they are skilled to meet the industry requirements. They work directly with employers to design training programmes to suit their specific needs, offering learning technologies, curriculum design and development, assessment and certification services. They also work through vocational training partners who use the curriculum, training materials, assessment and certification services. With City & Guilds’ long heritage in managing thorough quality assurance processes, they support training institutions with their teacher-training and quality process management

Through a network of over 100 centres across 25 States they have delivered training to tens of thousands of learners across a range of sectors like retail, hospitality, banking & finance, construction, security, automotive, air-conditioning and refrigeration, and many others. Manipal City & Guilds is now an accredited NSDC Partner.

  

Excellence in People Pvt. Ltd. (www.excellenceinpeople.in

Business Improvement Framework, Training

Excellence in People Private Limited (EiP) is the company which has been set up to deliver Investors in People accreditation services in India under the licence awarded by UK Commission for Employment & Skills (UKCES). They offer a business framework that drives good practice in the way

in which people are led, managed and developed. The framework is used to help organisations achieve their business objectives through efficient human capital management.

Investors in People is accepted as one of the leading business improvement tools based around employees within an organisation. It was developed in 1990 by the UK Government (UKCES) and is supported by it.  Active in over 75 countries with over 80,000 organisations working with Investors in People worldwide, it is a trusted International Standard.

Investors in People has a proven track record of bottom line improvement and positive business impact. Apart from being identified as an organisation with an internationally benchmarked human capital development and management practice and culture, the accreditation greatly reflects its sustainability quotient in this ever changing economy.

London School of Training (www.londonschooloftraining.org)

Education and Training

London School of Training is an independent provider of education that has brought together a group of internationally experienced and professional practitioners to provide training courses on inter-personal skills to Universities, Colleges and Corporate Organisations. The courses are provided on site, in the institution/organisation’s premises.

London School of Training qualifications include International Certificates in Strategic Leadership, International Certificate in Supervisory Management, International Certificate in Psychology, and Certificate Courses on Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Presentation and Negotiation, Time Management, Reduction of Stress, Communication, Teaching Teachers, Customer Service, Career Choices, Career Coaching and many others.

The Supply Chain Foundation (www.supply-chain-foundation.com)

Supply Chain Management, Education and Training

The Supply Chain Foundation (SCF) provides training solutions in Supply Chain Management, targeted at current or aspiring professionals, at higher education level (2 to 6) and covering purchasing, logistics, operations, integration and leadership. The SCF sells to large firms directly, to medium-sized companies via training centres and to higher education institutes.

The SCF integrates the disciplines of purchasing, logistics, operations in one consistent and complete framework, with no historic legacies and offers the largest spectrum of qualifications in Supply Chain Management (in breadth & depth) worldwide, allowing for full professional development paths. The courses are approved by the Chartered Management Institute & the Training Foundation and takes a global perspective. The training combines theory and practice, flexibly blending class-room, on-the-job and virtual learning.

The trainers are all experienced supply chain professionals duly trained to transfer useful skills, matching the needs of the real world. It uses a state-of-the-art immersive learning simulation called SCILS which supports training in all its forms: classroom, on-line and on-the-job, thus maximising the training effectiveness while guaranteeing quality and consistency.

In India, the SCF provides two courses: Supply Chain Fundamentals Course and Supply Chain Basics course. The fundamental course is designed for experienced professionals and the Basics course is for graduating students and job seekers keen on mastering the basics of modern Supply Chain Management to maximise their chances of getting supply-chain related jobs.

 Beckett Rankine India Pvt. Ltd. (www.beckettrankine.com)

Sector: Infrastructure and Marine

Beckett Rankine is a firm of specialist marine consulting engineers, head quartered in London. The company was founded in 1888 by the great-grandfather of one of the directors, and has remained in the hands of the Beckett and Rankine families ever since. The team has years of extensive and considerable experience in development of Ports/Jetties, Harbours and other marine infrastructure projects across the world.  The team is guided by one of the directors, Tim Beckett and Gordon Rankine, on every project. This ensures the highest level of quality and continuity for each client. The combined experience of the directors alone numbers more than 50 years.

In India, have a wholly owned subsidiary namely Beckett Rankine India Pvt. Ltd with an office in Mumbai. Some of their projects is India include methods for improving the logistics supply chain for lighterage in Mumbai Harbour, preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for the new jetty at Meghavaram Port in Andhra Pradesh, designing the lifting gate at Bhavnagar port which was suffering from leakage. Beckett Rankine is working as part of the sponsoring organisation and has been instrumental in preparing masterplans for a phased development of the Krishnapatnam Port. Beckett Rankine also advised on the marine conditions for Gujarat sub-sea pipeline project

 CDE Asia (www.cdeasia.com)

Sector: Infrastructure, Recycling and Mineral Processing

CDE Asia, founded in 2007, is an Indian company promoted jointly by CDE Global (UK) and the Bhartia family with the aim to increase penetration in the sand & aggregate and mineral processing sector in the Asian market and to build the mineral processing capabilities of the group. It is headquartered in Kolkata and has a manufacturing plant in the outskirts of the city.

CDE is a globally recognized brand engaged in the design and manufacture of customized material and mineral washing equipment for the quarrying, mining, recycling and waste management industries. CDE Asia has pioneered the concept of Sand & Aggregate washing in the Indian market. The recent ban on river sand mining has led to a paradigm shift in raw material strategy of construction companies in India. Companies have to now look at alternative sources of sand such as

manufactured sand, C&D Recycling etc. In a short while, CDE Asia has set up large number of sand & aggregate washing plants in India and its neighboring countries. CDE’s washing technology helps sand manufacturers & construction companies produce quality in-spec sand from quarry dust and river sand, etc. that  gives tangible benefits to mass construction & quality civil works besides reducing project cost by consuming less cement.

CDE’s expertise in the delivery of turnkey mineral / ore processing plants is extensive and to date they have provided many of the largest steel producers in India with iron ore washing plants delivering significant efficiencies in steel production through the reduction in levels of contaminants such as alumina, silica and phosphorous and a consequent increase in the value of the iron ore to be processed.

CDE Asia has recently launched Gradus, a range of Mobile Screen and Mobile Conveyors for the mining, quarry and recycling industries.

Cyan Technology (www.cyantechnology.com)

Energy, Energy Efficiency

Based in Cambridge UK, Cyan provides innovative solutions that reduce energy consumption for the utility and lighting markets. Cyan’s core technology is a platform for the rapid and cost effective deployment of smart grid metering and energy efficient lighting. This includes CyNet™ a wireless mesh networking protocol for scalable and secure communication with remote units as well as Cyan’s enterprise software for full end-to-end system integration.

CyLec® is Cyan’s smart metering solution for energy utilities. It provides a robust, scalable and integrated platform that enables utilities to transform existing power grid infrastructure into the smart grid. Using CyLec, utilities can rapidly deploy an interoperable Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solution that provides an automated, two-way communication interface between the consumer and the smart grid.

CyLux® is Cyan’s energy efficient smart lighting solution. It enables significant power savings by optimising the way in which public lighting is managed. CyLux is compatible with all the latest lighting technologies including HPS, HID and LED. The CyLux web portal provides a central monitoring and control interface that scales to city and state wide deployments.

Together with Cyan’s System Integrator partners, Cyan provides first class support, managed services and Software as a Service (SaaS) to assist in the planning and integration of its solutions.

ETI Dynamics Ltd. (www.etidynamics.com)

Water, Wastewater, Solar, Waste Management

ETI Dynamics is a unique economic development focused firm specialising in emerging and high growth markets. Its current geographical efforts are targeted on Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The firm also plays a proactive role in stimulating growth by taking a holistic approach and organises its activities through specialist programmes that are captured in two main divisions, Economic Development and Asset Management.

The firm’s key objective is to increase the rate of economic development in nations by using a number of mechanisms such as offering quality research; showcasing best policy frameworks; connecting companies/countries to new markets; effecting knowledge and technology transfer; unlocking new sources of capital; creating strong investment propositions and most importantly developing the necessary hard and soft infrastructure within nations.

ETI Dynamics focuses on Cross border trade and investments, Emerging and High growth markets, Eco-system development, Policy and Economic Research, Innovation, Knowledge Transfer, Skills and training.

Mabey Bridges (www.mabeybridge.co.uk)

Construction of modular bridges and flyovers

Mabey Bridge is a specialist supplier of high quality steel bridging, infrastructure, wind turbine towers and heavy plated structural steelwork to markets across the globe. Based in Chepstow, South Wales, the company’s history can be traced back to the construction of Brunel’s Wye railway bridge in 1849.

Mabey Bridge has three automated manufacturing facilities with a combined annual production capacity approaching 100,000 tonnes. The Lydney facility in Gloucestershire is dedicated to the manufacture of the company’s modular steel bridge systems. The Chepstow facility specialises in the fabrication and protective treatment of plated and other heavy steelwork for the infrastructure bridge markets, whilst the Newhouse facility manufactures wind turbine towers, monopiles and heavy tubular steelwork. With 24/7 operating to meet the tightest of delivery schedules, these facilities use the latest manufacturing techniques including fully integrated CADCAM and robotic welding.

Mabey Bridges are a truly global supplier of steel bridging and currently deliver to over twenty different countries and experience in many more.

 

Studio DRA (www.india.studiodra.com)

Architectural design, Masterplanning, Interior design, project management

Studio DRA is an internationally recognized organisation in architectural, Masterplaning and Interior design practice with offices in London, Dublin, & Delhi.

The team at Studio DRA has an extensive range of expertise in the various sectors of offices, retail, residential, hospitality, education, healthcare, business parks and mixed use developments. It has years of experience on numerous projects throughout India, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

The Principal Architects have been actively involved in multiple projects throughout India such as developments in Mussoorie, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Mohali etc.

 

Department for International Development (DFID) (www.dfid.gov.uk)

UK Government Department

DFID delivers its programmes in India in partnership with the Government of India, state governments and increasingly with the private sector, civil society organisations, think tanks and other donors.  We also work closely with other UK Government Departments to contribute to wider priorities on trade, climate change, infrastructure, research, education and skills.

DFID’s achievement includes:

  • Help 3 million women gain access to credit, insurance and savings and help them work their way out of poverty.
  • Help over 300,000 mothers deliver babies more safely with the help of nurses, midwives or doctors.
  • Reach 3.7 million pregnant women and children under five with nutrition programmes.
  • Provide 2.9 million people access to improved sanitation facilities.
  • Help fight climate change by providing 0.8 million people with low carbon energy (e.g. fuel efficient stoves and solar lanterns).
  • Support over 800,000 children (390,000 of them girls) to enrol in secondary school.
  • Help 13 million more people (7.7 million of them women) to understand and claim their rights and entitlements.