UK celebrates launch of Wales in India 2024 partnership

London, Mar 1 (PTI) The Welsh government has declared the year 2024 as “Wales in India” to celebrate the partnership between the devolved region in the south west of Great Britain and India, celebrated with a special launch event at India House in London this week.
    Leading businesses, innovators, academics and community leaders came together at the Indian High Commission on Thursday to discuss two-way investment opportunities, business collaborations and cultural exchanges.     The First Minister of Wales, Sir Mark Drakeford, spoke of the many highlights of a year-long programme planned as part of the Wales in India 2024 initiative.
    “The efforts will span such a wide range of areas in which we have a joint interest – education, arts, sports, business, healthcare – the things that are important to us both are the things that will bring us together to celebrate what we have achieved already, and then to work to strengthen those connections between India and Wales,” said Drakeford.
    “We are so well served in Wales by a rich Indian community, who we are lucky enough to have attracted to come and make their futures part of our future; and who every single day contribute to the richness of our society and help us together to craft that confident, outward-looking Wales,” he said.
    The senior Labour Party leader pointed out that the Wales in India festivities were kicked off earlier this year with the Welsh Language Children’s Laureate Nia Morais addressing the Kolkata Literature Festival 2024 and will lead up to an Indo-Welsh Conclave in the coming months.
    The Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, extended his mission’s support for all the series of events planned as part of the drive over the course of the year.
    “We are determined as partners to actually be part of the journey to help you with events that you do in India and be part of your events in Wales as well,” said Doraiswami as he spoke of the “colossal” opportunities India has to offer the region.
    “Our idea is that we celebrate this partnership as an opportunity to showcase what we can do for each other and what Wales can benefit from the rise of the Indian economy, and how India can benefit from Wales,” he said.
    The diplomat listed some key areas of cooperation as technology, ranging from semiconductors to cyber security and defence; design and innovation; aviation – with Welsh manufacturing delivering hundreds of wings for Air India aircraft; and opportunities to scale up in areas such as pharmaceuticals.
    “Leveraging the strengths of both the countries is the key… for instance, specialised injection products for vaccines where we can manufacture that in Wales and make sure it's accessible to the wider population,” said Santosh Singh, Head of Business at Wockhardt UK – the Mumbai-headquartered biotech company which has an industrial base employing 400 people in Wrexham, north Wales.
    The over 2,000-strong Indian student community choosing Welsh universities for higher education and the immense untapped tourism potential of the region were also flagged during a panel discussion to delve into Indo-Welsh partnerships.
    “It isn't just about business. It's also about people. The Welsh have been hugely hospitable hosts to an Indian community in all its colour and all its dimensions,” added Doraiswami.
    Besides some annual events around festivals of Holi and Diwali, the Welsh government wanted Wales in India 2024 to encompass a range of activities to celebrate Welsh and Indian traditions with exhibitions, performances, and collaborative projects to highlight the rich and diverse cultures of both nations.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)