NEW DELHI, Feb 16:
British Prime Minister David Cameron is likely to press for Eurofighter Typhoon deal and the entry of super-market giant Tesco into the Indian market during his three-day official visit here beginning from February 18.
Sources said the UK Prime Minister will make a bid for the deal on Eurofighter Typhoon as the agreement between India and France for 126 Rafale fighter jets could not be signed during the recent
visit of French President Francois Hollande.
The sources said Mr Cameron will also pitch for the entry of Tesco in multi-brand retail even though Tesco has has teamed up with the Tata Group in a wholesale business in India.
Mr Cameron who arrives in India on February 18 on a three-day official visit, will hold discussions with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on several issues, mainly business and trade relations and cooperation in education between the two countries.
The discussions will also focus on counter-terrorism cooperation, cyber security and energy.
The Vodafone tax issue is also likely to be discussed.
The last meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter-terrorism was held in India in November, 2012, while the first India-UK cyber security dialogue took place in UK on October 18-19, 2012.
Energy is an important area of cooperation between the two countries.
Mr Cameron will arrive in Mumbai on February 18 and hold discussions with representatives of Indian industry.
He will come to Delhi the next day and hold delegation-level talks with the Prime Minister on February 19.
He will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee.
New Chairman of the Tata Group, Cyrus Mistry, is likely to attend the meeting with the UK Prime Minister.
The visit by Mr Cameron, his second to India after his entry to the 10 Downing Street, could, however, be overshadowed by the row over alleged kickbacks in the the Rs 4,000 crore AgustaWestland VVIP Helicopter deal with India.
India had opted the French jet in a 14 bn US Dollar deal over the British-made Eurofighter.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said UK had sent “interim response” to India on the AgustaWestland bribery issue and would be waiting for Italy to complete their part
of the investigations.
“We would like to a have a full report,” the spokesman added.
External Affairs Ministry official Ms Ruchi Ghanshyam, said Mr Cameron would be accompanied by CEOs of top British companies including British Petroleum, Vice Chancellors of several top universities and officials.
Mr Cameron had said in London earlier this week that there were already 40,000 Indian students in the UK and he hoped numbers would increase.
“The fact is today, as we stand, and this is going to be the case going forward, there is no limit on the number of students who can come from India to study at British universities, no limit
at all…And what is more, after you have left a British university, if you can get a graduate-level job there is no limit to the amount of people who can stay and work or the time that they can stay at work,” Mr Cameron had said. (UNI)
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