UK delegation concludes its two-day visit in Kolkata
Times of India | 27 July 2024
NKDA hosting the Innovate UK delegation at their office on 26 July 2024 KOLKATA: Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, in collaboration with British Deputy High Commission and industry partner FICCI on Friday concluded their “Global Business Innovation Programme” with a two-day visit in Kolkata.
This initiative focused on ‘Urban Systems’ and included businesses delivering Net Zero solutions for challenges such as heating and cooling, mobility, energy, the circular economy, resource measurement and management, citizen engagement, sustainable behaviour change, and resilience to natural shocks.
The delegation visited Kolkata and Chennai, the two metropolitan cities which are part of the country's ‘100 Smart Cities’ mission, which aims to address the challenges and opportunities of urbanisation over the next 30 years.
In the two-day visit, the companies met over 100 Indian delegates through a business to business networking event with support from FICCI and were hosted by the West Bengal pollution control board and New Town Kolkata development authority to explore how these technologies could support the state’s urbanisation and smart cities vision.
Murdhanya Dave, head of India and Europe at Innovate UK, stated "India remains a strategic partner for the UK. Through bringing the UK and Indian businesses and other organisations together we can drive prosperity and solve some of the major challenges facing society. We are committed to fostering collaborations that drive sustainable development and create long-lasting impacts in both nations."
Rishikesh Chanda, senior sector manager and Lead, Infrastructure, British Deputy High Commission Kolkata said: “I welcome the UK delegation to Kolkata. Kolkata is an ideal location for a visit like this. West Bengal’s achievement in harnessing renewable energy, promoting the use of electric vehicles, waste management and recycling, and sustainable urbanisation is a model for others to follow. The UK has also undertaken extensive initiatives to ensure clean air, clean transport, green spaces, low-carbon buildings and smart infrastructure create cities where people want to live and they attract talent, investment and drive growth. I hope the visit will facilitate sharing of expertise and co-development of solutions which will benefit both West Bengal and the UK.”
Sonali Ghosal, Co-Chair, FICCI West Bengal, said:''FICCI West Bengal has been working closely with British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata and is really happy to partner with Innovate UK and UKRI to explore business opportunities, identify potential strategic partners for the delegation and engage with key stakeholders in the smart city and urban development ecosystem.'