Nasscom announces UK Forum to drive AI collaboration, deepen tech, trade ties

New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) Nasscom on Thursday announced the launch of its UK Forum, which, it said, aims to deepen the bilateral technology and trade partnership between India and the United Kingdom.

The move is significant given that the UK remains the second-largest market for India's technology industry, with annual revenues exceeding USD 90 billion.

According to estimates, India-UK bilateral trade stands at USD 56 billion, with USD 33 billion coming from services trade. The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) aims to double this trade by 2030, underscoring the importance of digital and technology-driven growth.

The Nasscom UK forum expects to play a key role in advancing AI collaboration between the two nations, in line with the Technology Security Initiative (TSI), especially in the public sector, where India's experience in AI adoption and digital public infrastructure can help the UK deliver citizen services at scale, Nasscom said in a release.

It will also focus on enabling AI readiness, workforce upskilling, and SME digital transformation, while promoting responsible AI practices and shared innovation models that benefit both societies.

The initiative brings together technology leaders from large Indian IT companies like HCL Technologies, Hexaware, Infosys, LTIMindtree, Mastek, Tech Mahindra, TCS and Wipro.

The launch ceremony was held at the Indian High Commission in London in the presence of Kanishka Narayan, Minister for AI and Online Safety, Government of the UK.

The event was attended by senior government representatives, industry leaders, and key stakeholders from across the India-UK technology corridor.

The Nasscom statement said the forum will build a multistakeholder strategic partnership across both governments, the technology industry, enterprises, associations, academia, think tanks, analysts, and the Indian diaspora.

Nasscom also unveiled a compendium titled 'Indian Tech Impacting the UK: Tech, R&D, and People Impact Stories'.

The publication highlights the tangible economic and societal value created by India's technology industry in the United Kingdom -across innovation, talent, research, and community outcomes. It also reinforces the shared resolve of both ecosystems to scale this impact further through deeper, future-ready technology partnerships in the years to come, according to Nasscom.

Indian technology firms have a long-standing presence in the UK, contributing to competitiveness, innovation, and job creation across sectors.

India is also the second-largest source of FDI into the UK, with over 1,197 Indian-owned companies operating there. Over 75 UK-based Global Capability Centres (GCCs) operate here in the country, leveraging India's scale, talent, and innovation quotient to drive competitiveness for their parent organisations.

At the same time, major UK enterprises have established deep engineering and innovation footprints in India, co-developing global digital products and solutions. PTI MBI MR