A trade mission from northern England to India seeks to move beyond traditional diplomatic links, emphasising regional industries, innovation clusters, and localised economic partnerships following the UK-India trade agreement signed in July 2026.
A business mission from the north of England to India is being presented as more than a trade trip: it is a bid to reshape how the two countries do business, by moving attention away from London and towards regional industries, universities and innovation clusters. The delegation, which will travel under the Great North banner from 12 to 16 October 2026, brings together leaders from Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, the North East, and Cheshire and Warrington, according to regional authorities and the UK India Business Council.
The timing matters. India and the UK operationalised their Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement on 15 July 2026, with the Indian side saying the deal gives zero-duty access to nearly 99% of exports and covers almost all trade value. Industry data also points to the scale of the relationship already in place, with India-UK merchandise trade at $25.12 billion in FY26 and services trade at $35.44 billion in 2024. Projections published by Indian industry groups suggest the pact could lift annual bilateral trade by £25.5 billion by 2040.
The Great North initiative is designed to turn that broader trade opening into a more localised economic strategy. The UK India Business Council says it is helping the participating city regions identify priority Indian states, companies, investors and institutional partners, while building market plans around each area’s strengths. That approach is intended to create a more durable northern presence in India, rather than relying on a single visit to generate business leads.
For Indian states such as Punjab and Haryana, the appeal is practical as well as symbolic. A consultation organised by India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Chandigarh in June highlighted export opportunities in textiles, apparel, engineering goods, agriculture, food processing, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Those sectors overlap with the industrial base of the north of England, where advanced manufacturing, engineering, technology, higher education, clean energy and creative industries remain core strengths.
Officials in Haryana have already cast the free trade pact as a route to new markets and investment, saying it could improve access in textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery, and engineering while connecting young people, farmers, small businesses and start-ups with capital and technology. British diplomatic engagement in Chandigarh has also previously focused on education, skills and business links, suggesting that the current mission is building on a longer pattern of regional cooperation rather than starting from scratch.
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