The Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King, today [9 April] hosted a high-level roundtable with the Hon. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds.
Held at Mansion House ahead of the India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue, the roundtable brought together pension funds, asset managers, and leading financial institutions to deepen bilateral collaboration and unlock new trade and investment opportunities.
As UK and India free trade agreement (FTA) and Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) negotiations progress, it is vital to maintain momentum on deepening business collaboration and aligning financial services. The roundtable explored strengthening green investments to support net zero; collaborating further in fintech and advancing Public-Private Partnerships to secure more large-scale UK-India projects and long-term investment. The ’s role as a global financial hub complements India’s ambition to attract long-term institutional investment into its high-growth sectors such as technology and life sciences.
The roundtable follows the Lord Mayor’s recent visit to India, where he spoke with financial services leaders in Mumbai to explore investment prospects, tackle existing trade barriers, and highlight areas for deeper UK-India alignment.
The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Alastair King, said:
“We had a highly constructive discussion with Hon. Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and The Rt. Hon. Jonathan Reynolds, joined by leaders from across the financial services sector. There is a strong, shared commitment to deepen our economic partnership and drive greater prosperity—particularly in key areas such as green finance, infrastructure investment, and fintech.
“Global trade is entering a new era. As we look ahead to the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue and continue free trade agreement negotiations, our focus remains on sustaining momentum and delivering tangible outcomes in the months to come.”
The Hon. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Indian Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, said:
“It was a pleasure to engage with financial services leaders at the India-UK Investors Roundtable this morning at Mansion House, alongside the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Rt. Hon. Jonathan Reynolds, and the Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King. India and the UK share a strong and evolving economic partnership, with significant potential for deeper collaboration—particularly in UPI and digitalization and the mobilisation of capital for large-scale infrastructure development. As discussions progress under the Economic and Financial Dialogue, and in the context of the ongoing bilateral investment treaty and free trade agreement negotiations, there is clear and mutual intent to further strengthen our bilateral relationship.”
Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds said:
“I was delighted to meet with Minister Sitharaman, hear from businesses, and discuss how we can strengthen the strong economic bonds between our two nations.
“Both the UK and India are committed to delivering economic growth and giving businesses the confidence and stability they need to expand.
“That is why we are continuing to negotiate towards an ambitious trade deal that unlocks opportunities both at home and abroad for British businesses and supports our Plan for Change.”
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Notes to editors
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