India to the West Midlands: Innovating the Future of Mobility
The India-UK bilateral trading relationship is significant here in the West Midlands. It supports jobs, businesses, and communities.
Both countries have agreed to double bilateral trade by 2030, which will further strengthen economic ties and support continued sustainable growth.
Success in the West Midlands
The West Midlands’ world-class business ecosystem has proved an attractive value proposition to Indian investors thus far, with 76 investments worth £3.5bn and creating 13,000 new jobs over the past decade.
The region’s success has been driven further by the Future Mobility sector, ranking 1st for Indian investments in recent years (2016-2020). It is responsible for over half of the UK’s total automotive exports to India. More recently, the electric vehicle arm of Chennai-based Ashok Leyland, Switch Mobility, committed to a £300million investment, expected to create over 4,000 jobs in both India and the UK.
A corridor for continued R&D investment
Scarce R&D investment by Indian auto component manufacturers has created a huge gap in demand and supply for critical EV components in the key two-wheeler, three-wheeler and shared mobility markets. Indian companies have found great success in the West Midlands opening international headquarters and expanding operations in bridging this gap using the region’s key strengths in next-generation vehicular technology.
From Chennai
TVS Motor Company’s £100 million investment in Norton Motorcycles led to the opening of a new world-class manufacturing facility in Solihull. The investment is working towards electrification, cutting-edge technology, sustainability, and the future of mobility.
From Mumbai
Tata Jaguar Land Rover opened an electric vehicle testing lab at its Warwickshire base. The Electromagnetic Compatibility laboratory at Gaydon will test the next generation of vehicles for electrical and radio interference to ensure they meet current and future legislative requirements.
From Bengaluru
Ola Electric’s £100 million investment to open a new research and development facility based in Coventry, ‘Ola Futurefoundry’, will extend research in battery technology and work in close collaboration with their headquarters in Bengaluru to build electric vehicles in two-wheeler and four-wheeler markets.
Innovating in the West Midlands
The West Midlands has a remarkable base of tier 1 to tier 4 automotive suppliers proficient in battery and powertrain propulsion (hybrid, electric and hydrogen). As the UK’s only 5G multi-city testbed and the first Future Mobility Zone, the region is one of the best for prototyping, designing and trialling connected, autonomous cars, unlocking opportunities for the Indian market.
The density of work between university and industry, a collaborative nature unique to the West Midlands, is driving the speed of research and innovation to overcome challenges the Indian EV market is facing in power electronics, battery tech, battery swapping and charging infrastructure.
Global Growth Programme
Indian start-ups and companies looking to scale-up their growth can enter the UK market via the innovative West Midlands Global Growth Programme; a comprehensive and fully funded soft landing package for innovative and ambitious international businesses establishing in the UK.
The Global Growth Programme helps members set up direct investments in the UK market quickly by supplying much-needed benefits like free commercial office space, bespoke business support, networking opportunities and calendar events.
India's market growth and 'Make in India'
India is expected to be the world’s third-largest automotive market in terms of volume by 2026 and India’s Electric Vehicle (EV) market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 44% between 2020-2027. However, EVs in India need to meet several eligibility criteria to benefit from the subsidies available, including minimum range, acceleration, and maximum speed.
Another challenging criterion for manufacturers is India’s national programme ‘Make in India‘ designed to facilitate investment and build best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure in India where 50% of components are manufactured locally.
Free support services
The West Midlands Growth Company offers expert and seamless services that make it easier for global companies like yours to choose the UK’s West Midlands for your next business expansion and investment.
