The City of London Corporation has today agreed to sponsor the Indo-British All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), a cross-party informal group chaired by Virendra Sharma MP.

The APPG is a collection of members of both Houses of Parliament with an interest in strengthening the bonds between India and the United Kingdom, and aims to promote understanding and co-operation between Indian and British parliamentarians.

The City Corporation has a longstanding programme of work in India, and opened a representative office in Mumbai ten years ago . Current priorities for the organisation in the country include developing ties in insolvency and bankruptcy regulation development, green finance and fintech.

Sponsorship of the APPG comes as the City Corporation continues its Asia Next Decade campaign, which involves working in partnership with industry and government to highlight future priorities for engagement between the UK and Asia.

The decision to support the Indo-British APPG was agreed at a meeting of the City Corporation’s Policy and Resources Committee, which is responsible for the organisation’s governance arrangements, recommending its strategic priorities, agreeing policy, and allocating overall resources.

Catherine McGuinness, Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation, said:

“I am delighted we are supporting this highly influential group.

“Since we opened our office in Mumbai a decade ago, the City of London Corporation has been at the forefront of promoting closer UK-India relations in financial and professional services alongside industry and government partners.

“Joining the Indo-British APPG is therefore a logical step for us to take, and we look forward to being involved with the group.”

Virendra Sharma MP, Chair of the Indo-British All-Party Parliamentary Group said:

“The APPG is excited to be working more closely with the City of London Corporation.

“The City Corporation is a worldwide brand and an amazing asset to Britain, what they say matters, and we are looking forward to their contributions to the group.

“Their support means we can do new things, draw more attention to UK-India relations and continue to ensure policy makers are always thinking of that special relationship.

The City of London Corporation’s support of the Indo-British APPG follows its longstanding sponsorship of many similar groups, including the APPG for China.

The organisation has run a representative office in Mumbai since 2007 to enable long-term relationship building with financial sector stakeholders across India. Around 10-15 Indian financial firms are based in the Square Mile which the City Corporation works closely with, and there are many more based across London.

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Notes to editors

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

For more information contact:

Nathan Rodgers, Media Officer for Asia

City of London Corporation

Nathan.rodgers@cityoflondon.gov.uk

0207 332 3451 / 07864 625086