British prime minister Boris Johnson arrives in Ahmedabad, announces new commercial deals worth £1 billion

AHMEDABAD: British prime minister Boris Johnson arrived in Ahmedabad around 8.30am, to begin the first leg of his India visit. He was received by Governor Acharya Devvrat, CM Bhupendra Patel, other ministers and officials at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport.
The prime minister will visit a new factory being opened by a top British firm in Gujarat, as well as a biotechnology university working in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh.

The UK will confirm major new science and tech collaboration, including a Digital Health partnership and a joint investment fund for Indian deep-tech and AI start-ups, supported by the UK and Indian governments; new AI scholarships for Indian students jointly funded by the UK government’s Chevening programme and India’s Adani Group; and a £6m investment from AI healthcare specialists Qure-ai to open a Centre of Excellence in the UK.
UK and Indian businesses will confirm more than £1 billion in new investments and export deals on Thursday in areas from software engineering to health, creating almost 11,000 jobs across the UK.

The British prime minister will announce a raft of commercial agreements and hail a new era in the UK and India’s trade, investment, and technology partnership, as he arrives in Gujarat on Thursday for the start of a two-day visit to India.
Prime minister Johnson visited the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad at the outset of his visit. “It is an immense privilege to come to the Ashram of this extraordinary man, and to understand how he mobilised such simple principles of truth and non-violence to change the world for the better,” read the message he wrote on the visitor’s book of Sabarmati Ashram.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said: “As I arrive in India today, I see vast possibilities for what our two great nations can achieve together. From next-generation 5G telecoms and AI to new partnerships in health research and renewable energy – the UK and India are leading the world.”
“Our powerhouse partnership is delivering jobs, growth and opportunities for our people, and it will only go from strength-to-strength in the coming years,” he further said.