Theresa May told she needs to take more migrants and mangoes from India if she wants lucrative trade deal
Prime Minister is flying out to Delhi with 33 business leaders to lay the groundwork for ‘ambitious’ agreement post-Brexit
THERESA May has been told to take in more migrants and drop the ban on mangoes from India if she wants to secure a lucrative post-Brexit trade deal with the country.
The Prime Minister vowed she will not allow her hands to be tied in negotiating a Britain’s future, but the provocative comments will be unwelcome as she boarded a flight to Delhi.
She is travelling with representatives of 33 companies from around the UK on a mission to lay the groundwork for an "ambitious" agreement and "reboot an age-old relationship in this age of opportunity".
But India's High Commissioner re-opened a row Mrs May had with the country over immigration when she was Home Secretary, warning her: “Post-Brexit, you need Indians.”
Dinesh Patnaik, the country's most senior diplomat in London, told the : “Students, tourists and short-term visitors are not migrants under any definition.”
He added: “Our tourists… don't come to Britain due to difficult visa conditions.”
Since 2011 the number of Indian students at UK universities has fallen by 20,000 after visas that allowed non-EU students to work in here for up to two years after the end of their studies were abolished.
There is also unease over higher salary thresholds for skilled workers, announced by the Home Office just days before her arrival as part of ongoing efforts to reduce non-EU migration.
Indian tech body Nasscom has called for a high-skilled worker mobility agreement with Britain, warning: "A system that restricts the UK's ability to access talent is also likely to restrict the growth and productivity of the UK economy.
During the three-day visit, the PM will be lobbied to allow tariff-free and regulation-free access to the UK market for Indian produce such as mangoes.
Last year, the UK was forced to comply with a recently lifted Brussels ban on the fruit over fears they might be infested with flies.
Mrs May intends to use the three-day trip to seek official-level talks to pave the way for a post-Brexit free trade agreement, as well as moves to break down existing barriers to commerce and investment.
The trip is an indication she will not allow the UK's preparations to be held back by EU rules blocking members from striking bilateral deals.
Officials said the trip, her first trade mission as PM, would see commercial deals sealed to create 1,370 jobs in the UK, as well as the establishment of a new UK-India "smart cities" urban partnership with the potential to unlock opportunities worth £2billion.
The PM will hold more than two hours of talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, as well as meeting business leaders in the capital New Delhi and southern commercial hub Bangalore.
Speaking ahead of her departure, Mrs May said Britain and India were "natural partners" with shared interests in delivering jobs, developing new technologies and tackling terrorism and climate change.
"This is a partnership about our shared security and shared prosperity," she said.
Speaking at Heathrow before heading off to India, Mrs May sad: "I'm very pleased that this is my first bilateral visit outside of Europe and it's to India.
"India is a key strategic partner with the UK and I'm pleased also that I'm taking a number of businesses with me - not just large businesses but small and medium-sized businesses as well, because there are huge opportunities for British business in trading with India, and we know that we have significant investment here in the UK from India.
"So this is a really important partnership and I'm going to be building on that in the discussions I'm having in India."
Asked if she was ready to compromise on the terms of Brexit following the High court setback, Mrs May said: " I think what we all have to remember - and MPs and peers have to remember - is we had a vote on June 23, a majority of the British people voted to leave the EU. The Government is now getting on with that.
"I want to ensure that we get the bet possible deal for the UK as we leave the EU. That's the best possible deal for trading with and operating in the single European market.
"But alongside that the UK will be a confident outward-looking nation taking its place on the world stage, looking to build relationships around the globe.
"That's exactly what trips like this to India are about - building those relationships for future opportunities for the UK."