Britain Continues Trade Push in India With Cameron Visit

Harish Tyagi/European Pressphoto Agency British Prime Minister David Cameron, left, with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, giving a joint statement in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain arrived in India this week with the largest-ever British business delegation to the country, part of Britain’s continuing efforts to woo its former colony.

On Tuesday morning, the second day of his three-day visit, Mr. Cameron and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India had a wide-ranging discussion on bilateral relations.

“We expressed satisfaction with progress in our economic engageent, while stressing the need to do more to take the relationship to a new level,” Mr. Singh said during a joint news conference in New Delhi.

The two leaders discussed enhanced cooperation to develop India’s defense industry, through “greater emphasis on technology transfer, co-development and co-production,” he said.

Mr. Cameron said that the two countries are “on track to meet our commitment to double our bilateral trade to 23 billion pounds.”

This is Mr. Cameron’s second visit to India as prime minister. He first came to India in 2010. Bilateral trade between the two nations in 2011-12 rose to $16.2 bi! llion, up nearly 30 percent from $12.6 billion in 2010-11.

Mr. Cameron is traveling to India accompanied by over 100 companies, including 30 small and medium-sized enterprises. The British government has announced that it will support the creation of a new pan-India network of British Business Centers by 2017.

Mr. Cameron’s first stop on this visit was in Mumbai, which is considered India’s business capital.

“Britain is now the largest European investor into India,” Mr. Cameron said in Mumbai. “Indian investment into Britain is more than half of the total that comes to the E.U., so we have a very good basis on which to build.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Singh also raised the issue of allegations of bribery in India’s purchase of helicopters from AgustaWestland, the Finmeccanica subsidiary that is basedin Britain. “I told him that we have sought an explanation from the company by Feb. 22 to examine if the contractual provisions on unethical practices and the Integrity Pact have been violated,” he said.

In turn, Mr. Cameron extended his full support and assistance in the investigation. “We will respond to any request for information on AgustaWestland. I am glad Italy is looking into the details,” he said.