India, UK investors to offer syndicated finance

MUMBAI: A group of investors from UK and India will soon form a network to offer syndicated finance to early stage companies in the two countries.

An announcement to this effect will be made by senior government officials of both the countries in January 2008, UK India Business Council (UKIBC) Chief Executive Sharon Bamford told.
 
"We are looking at a network of investors from UK and India to offer syndicated finance to early stage companies expanding the operations," she said.

UKIBC is the lead organisation supporting the promotion of bilateral trade, business and investment opportunities between UK and India. The council is chaired by Lord Karan Bilimoria.
   
The Council aims to create atmosphere of free trade and investment while working toward dismantling bureaucratic and regulatory barriers to entry.
   
In its bid to understand the perception and opportunity in the Indian market, the Council has also commissioned a research of Tier-II cities of the country, Sharon said.
   
"Our intention is to have pragmatic not anecdotal evidence about Indian markets so that real deals could happen. We map these back home in UK so that a path is built between the two countries," she said.
   
The research starts early 2008 and the results would be out by mid-2008, she added.
   
The UK India bilateral trade in 2006 was Pound 8.7 billion up from Pound 7.9 billion in 2005.