India and the United Kingdom are gearing up to sign an agreement that would reduce red tape and facilitate greater research and tech tie-ups between the two countries. Dr. Jitendra Singh, India’s Minister of State for Science and Technology, arrived in London on Wednesday for a five-day visit to discuss the prospects of an enhanced bilateral collaboration in areas such as scientific research and development and launch the first-ever UK-India scientific deep sea voyage.
Available programmes and objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding to be agreed and signed at the ministerial-level meeting of the Science and Innovation Council include the establishment of a new UK-India Net Zero Innovation Virtual Centre focusing on industrial decarbonisation, and collaborations between industry, academia, startups, and in diverse fields from scientific R&D.
The agreement between UK and India will therefore lead to quicker and deeper collaboration in the science sector that would result in not just economic growth but also create skilled job opportunities and better lives for people in both India and the UK. The new partnership will also launch two research programmes funded by both countries, aiding further progress on major issues such as climate change and pandemic preparedness through to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
The visit also marks India being named a partner by the UK’s International Science Partnerships Fund, a move that has been set up to continue and develop the existing UK-India science partnership programme. Moreover, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, UK announced that the objective of this new agreement was to “remove red tape” blocking larger collaborations, allowing for a more efficient and productive dialogue between the two countries.
This deal will be beneficial for both countries, allowing them to team up to tackle global challenges and enabling new opportunities for businesses to grow and flourish, as well as and drive job creation through technological advancements. This new partnership will increase cooperation on vital issues like green technology and agri-tech, and will unlock innovation and research to help build a better and brighter future.
