UK minister Patrick Vallance has called for the need to tap into high-skilled Indian professionals through the Global Talent Visa and that Britain must harness scientific and academic relationships with India.
Speaking at the Future Frontier Forum hosted by India Global Forum in London, the UK Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, Vallance, also called for greater mobility of high-skilled professionals and the need to tap into the complementary skills of Indians across all sectors, news agency PTI reported.
The British minister at the forum, also attended by Indian commerce minister Piyush Goyal, urged both India and the UK to align their innovation priorities and unlock sector-wide opportunities.
“There is already a strong relationship between India and the UK, and I think it’s growing,” said Vallance.
“I believe government-to-government relationships in science do not drive everything; we must also create scientist-to-scientist relationships. Academic links and the exchange of people often drive collaborations. Start-ups in particular are becoming central to the innovation ecosystem, and we need more of them in the UK-India mix,” Vallance added.
The UK government’s Immigration White Paper, published in May, highlighted the Global Talent Visa route and proposed simplifying the application process for leading scientists and designers.
The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that Indians remain the largest group of non-EU migrants, leading in both student and work visa categories, of which Indians in STEM fields are a part of.
WHAT IS GLOBAL TALENT VISA?
The Global Talent Visa is a UK immigration pathway for individuals recognised for exceptional talent or potential in fields like science, engineering, technology, the arts, and humanities.
Unlike many other UK work visas, it offers greater flexibility and lower costs, as applicants do not need a job offer or employer sponsorship to apply.
To be eligible for a Global Talent Visa, applicants need to meet specific criteria and usually must secure an endorsement from one of six endorsing organisations approved by the Home Office. However, those who have received a distinguished award in their field are exempt from needing this endorsement.
The forum was also addressed by India’s Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, earlier on the sector-wide benefits of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) struck between the two countries, as it “adds value to science and technology and innovation”.
“A Free Trade Agreement demonstrates to the world that the two countries are friends, allies, and plan to work together closely; they trust each other,” said Goyal.
While the number of immigrants in the UK fell between June 2023 and June 2024, Indians, the largest group of non-EU migrants to the UK.
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