Delegation from UK's West Midlands Combined Authority visits GIFT City

Gujarat's GIFT City on Monday hosted a high-level mayoral delegation from West Midlands Combined Authority of the United Kingdom, with discussions taking place on deepening bilateral engagement in international financial services, among others. The visit marked a significant step towards strengthening India-UK collaboration in financial services, innovation and institutional partnerships, stated an official release. The high-level delegation, led by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, discussed deepening bilateral engagement in international financial services, enabling institutional partnerships and collaboration across digital finance, AI, and sustainable finance and academic research, it said. ''The interaction also highlighted opportunities for universities and innovation institutions from the West Midlands to expand their presence and partnerships within GIFT City's ecosystem,'' it added. Managing Director and Group CEO, GIFT City, Sanjay Kaul said the engagement reflects the growing depth of India-UK cooperation across financial services, innovation and education. ''GIFT City provides a platform for global institutions, universities and enterprises to collaborate, invest and scale international operations from India. We see strong potential to expand partnerships with the West Midlands across financial services, global capability centres, research and emerging technology,'' Kaul said. During the visit, GIFT City officials presented the evolution of India's first operational International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), highlighting its globally benchmarked regulatory framework, unified ecosystem and expanding opportunities across banking, capital markets, insurance, asset management, fintech, sustainable finance and global capability centres, the release said. The delegation was briefed on GIFT City's infrastructure readiness, policy stability and its growing role as a gateway for global institutions seeking to access India's markets while operating within an internationally aligned regulatory environment, it added. The visit concluded with a networking interaction and strategic discussions aimed at identifying next steps for collaboration, including institutional linkages, investment opportunities and knowledge partnerships. The engagement underscores GIFT City's continued focus on building global partnerships that support cross-border capital flows, talent development and innovation-led growth.