Grant Thornton hosts launch event for Yorkshire's first joint trade mission to India
Grant Thornton UK welcomed India's High Commissioner and the Mayors of West, South and North Yorkshire to Leeds last week, as the region prepares for its first-ever joint trade mission to India.
The reception, held in the heart of Leeds' financial and professional services district, brought together India's High Commissioner, its Consul General for the North of England, the UK-India Free Trade Agreement's chief negotiator and senior Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade officials, alongside all three Yorkshire mayors, representatives from the UK India Business Council and businesses from across the Yorkshire delegation.
The gathering marks the start of the White Rose delegation's journey to India, the first-time businesses, universities and creative institutions from across Yorkshire have come together under one banner to pursue opportunities in the Indian market. The mission builds on the UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which entered into force on 15 July 2026 and is forecast to increase bilateral trade between the two countries by £25.5 billion.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority figures show that trade between Yorkshire and India has doubled since 2021 to £1.9 billion a year, with the region exporting £862 million of goods and services to India in 2023. Indian-owned businesses based in Yorkshire turn over £4.85 billion between them, while Yorkshire firms with Indian directors generate close to £20 billion and support almost 130,000 jobs.
The delegation will travel to New Delhi from 12 October as part of the wider Great North trade mission, before a dedicated Yorkshire programme in Hyderabad and Mumbai covering sectors including advanced textiles, aerospace, life sciences, clean technology and the creative industries.
Dan Dickinson, Leeds Practice Lead and Partner at Grant Thornton UK, said:
"The CETA has removed some real barriers to entry and the businesses that move fastest to understand these changes will be the ones that benefit most. Hosting this reception was about bringing the people who can help Yorkshire businesses get that right into one room, from the High Commission through to the negotiators themselves, before the delegation leaves for India."
Anuj Chande OBE, Head of South Asia Business Group and Partner at Grant Thornton UK, said:
“Our work with businesses expanding between the UK and India tells us the firms that succeed are the ones with a long-term presence on the ground and a genuine understanding of how business is done there. This mission gives Yorkshire's businesses, universities and cultural institutions a chance to build trust and establish themselves for future success.”
Grant Thornton UK has been advising businesses across the region on the practical implications of the trade agreement, from tariff changes to the new self-declaration process for exporters. The firm's own research, published in its India Meets Britain Tracker 2026, found Indian-owned companies in the UK generated a combined turnover of £105.7 billion and employed more than 203,000 people, underlining the scale of what this corridor already represents.