New boost for UK and India’s #TechForGood startup skills

New initiative launched in India to give startups the skills they need to grow their business and drive UK-India tech collaboration.

This is part of the UK-India Tech Partnership announced by Prime Ministers Theresa May and Narendra Modi in April 2018.

Government is committed to strengthening the UK-India partnership and exchanging our expertise in tech.

Some of India’s most innovative and cutting-edge ‘tech for good’ startups will have the chance to take part in a new programme to improve their business skills, build links with the UK’s thriving digital sector and pave the way for future economic partnerships.

The Go Global programme is part of the ambitious UK-India Tech Partnership announced by UK Prime Minister Theresa May and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2018. It is a successful innovation scheme supporting startups to work with UK expertise to take their firms to the next level.

India is home to a thriving digital sector worth approximately $200 billion and is a growing hub for technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, data analytics and a leading manufacturer of internet-connected devices and services. The programme will focus on India tech firms in the tech for good sector.

Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright said:

India is home to a rapidly growing tech sector and with thriving fintech, e-commerce and telecommunications industries.

Through the newly expanded Go Global programme we are giving Indian tech entrepreneurs focused on the development of tech for good the opportunity to hone their skills so they can compete on the global stage.

This will also help to build connections for UK startups in new markets, highlight Britain as the place to develop new technology and pave the way for future economic partnerships.

The successful Indian startups will be expected to act as Go Global champions and share the skills they have learned with other firms across India.

This will help spread digital skills, digital capability and increase entrepreneurial spirit, creating jobs and prosperity.

The launch follows the first successful Go Global Africa programme which saw eighteen ambitious tech startups from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa visit London. They exchanged ideas, learned how to scale and grow their business, and showcased their innovations across fintech, healthtech, agritech and waste to investors and leading figures from the UK’s tech sector.

Not only will the programme help startups in India but it will also play a vital part in making links for UK startups in emerging hotspots such as Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Go Global was a flagship programme of the UK Israel Tech Hub and over the last four years it has helped develop new UK-Israel collaborations in the digital economy. According to the most recent report on its impact, the UK Israel Tech Hub has led 175 tech partnerships in deals worth £85 million.

There are more than half a billion internet subscribers across India and it is one of the largest and fastest growing markets for digital consumers.India’s ‘core’ digital sectors – digital communication service and electronics manufacturing – accounted for $170bn or 7 per cent of GSP in 2017-18.

Strengthening the UK’s partnership with India is a key element of the Government’s commitment to reinvesting in the UK’s relationships across the world, expanding and deepening the nation’s overseas network, working with others to face challenges and advancing common interests.Applications for Go Global India will open in Summer 2019.