IGF Smarter Regions Forum Launches the 10th UK‑India Week
On 23 June 2026, the India Global Forum (IGF) inaugurated the tenth edition of UK‑India Week at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. The opening event, titled the IGF Smarter Regions Forum, brought together senior leaders from government, business, academia and industry to deepen the emerging partnership between the Indian state of Gujarat and the UK’s West Midlands region.
The programme is part of the IGF Smarter Regions Exchange: West Midlands 2026 and is designed to convert the broader UK‑India relationship momentum into concrete collaboration across investment, innovation, skills, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, life sciences and regional growth. A high‑level delegation from the Government of Gujarat attended, led by Mamta Verma, Additional Chief Secretary of the Industries and Mines Department, and Dr. Vikrant Pandey, IAS, Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. Their visit builds on prior exchanges and underscores the growing importance of state‑to‑region partnerships in the UK‑India growth corridor.
Opening discussions examined how Gujarat and the West Midlands can strengthen a regional growth corridor through deeper cooperation in industry, investment, innovation and skills. The Gujarat delegation presented the state’s growth story, followed by a fast‑pitch showcase featuring companies from manufacturing, textiles, finance and technology, aimed at identifying concrete partnership opportunities in the UK.
The day concluded with an IGF Leaders’ Dinner at the National Automotive Innovation Centre, University of Warwick, where senior UK and Indian figures exchanged strategic ideas to unlock new pathways for investment, innovation and regional growth.
Manoj Ladwa, Founder and Chairman of IGF, stated that the West Midlands and Gujarat are “starting from strength” and that the task now is to turn dialogue into decisions, relationships into capital flows, and shared ambition into jobs, investment and long‑term growth. To operationalise this, IGF announced the formation of a Gujarat‑West Midlands Steering Committee, whose success will be measured by the partnerships created, investments secured and prosperity generated for both regions.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, highlighted that a recent trade mission to India demonstrated the strong existing relationship and that the week’s programme, in partnership with IGF, aims to convert that momentum into real results, bringing investment, creating jobs and strengthening collaboration across advanced manufacturing, clean energy and life sciences. He noted that the UK‑India Free Trade Agreement has been ratified and the West Midlands is prepared to play a leading role in connecting global partners with its world‑class industries, talent and innovation ecosystem.
Gujarat’s Additional Chief Secretary Mamta Verma emphasized the state’s position as a leading industrial and export engine, citing strengths in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, GIFT City, semiconductors, fintech and sports, and expressed confidence that the West Midlands’ capabilities in innovation, advanced industries, finance, life sciences and skills complement Gujarat’s offerings.
The opening of UK‑India Week coincides with the ratification of the landmark UK‑India Free Trade Agreement. This year’s agenda will also feature the first joint appearances by India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, and the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Peter Kyle, underscoring the strategic importance of moving from agreement to implementation.
The ten‑day programme spans the West Midlands and London, combining high‑level forums, closed‑door dialogues, curated roundtables, networking engagements and flagship awards. A key highlight is Day 4, when IGF London 2026 will host the Capital & Future Frontiers Forum at One Moorgate Place, bringing together global investors, policymakers, technology leaders, founders and senior decision‑makers to discuss financing the UK‑India innovation corridor and frontier sectors such as AI, quantum, energy transition, life sciences and deep tech. The week will close with the UK‑India Awards, celebrating leaders, institutions, businesses and innovators shaping the partnership, and will be anchored by the UK‑India Future Forum, a strategic platform for long‑term collaboration across trade, innovation, capital, climate, skills and security.