At the twelfth annual meeting of the UK-India Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), Rhydian Pountney, Managing Director of Renishaw UK Sales Limited, chaired the technological collaboration, advanced manufacturing and engineering working group. Held at One Great George Street in Westminster, UK, the meeting discussed how the UK and India can further their economic partnership and strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

The annual meeting was chaired by Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Dr. Liam Fox MP, Secretary of State for International Trade. The meeting aimed to promote ongoing trade between the two countries to achieve mutual prosperity and enhance competitiveness. Alongside the ministerial meetings, the organisation runs working groups, chaired by business representatives from the UK and India.

The technological collaboration, advanced manufacturing and engineering working group was chaired by Pountney and Dr Gopichand Katragadda, Group CTO at Tata Sons. It was well attended by representatives from the Department of International Trade (DIT) and Confederation of Indian Industry, as well as participants from businesses such as Rolls Royce, BAE Systems and TWI. Attendees discussed how the two countries can collaborate as part of technical research and development.

The group's discussion will input into a Joint Trade Review, which analyses trade barriers in the advanced manufacturing industrial sectors and gives advice on how to overcome them. The review will assess topics including how the UK's catapult centre model could be used in India and how to develop skills in India.

“Renishaw is a world-leading manufacturing company, with expertise in digital manufacturing and additive manufacturing,” explained Pountney.

“JETCO's annual meetings and working groups provide a key opportunity for India and the UK to work together, supported at Government level,” continued Pountney. “Renishaw's expertise in the UK and India as an advanced manufacturer puts us in a great position to share our views on and insight into research and development.”

Pountney is an experienced export professional, with first-hand knowledge of managing a network of overseas operations. He has also sat on the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) Advanced Engineering Sector Advisory Board and has been the UK chair for the UK-India JETCO Working Group since 2013. As well as this, Pountney established a B2B Working Group in India alongside the opening of Renishaw's Additive Manufacturing Solutions Centre in Pune.