In the long line of British diplomats who headed the Deputy High Commission for Britain in south India, Bharat Joshi has been the first one with an Indian origin. Scheduled to complete his five-year term in September, Joshi is slated to be transferred to London.
In an interaction with the media on Indo-British relations, Joshi pointed to 5.5 lakh UK visas issued last year with a handsome increase in student and business visas.
What has been the impact of the increasing restrictions on employment post-studies in the UK? Joshi said the focus is on improving the quality of students and professionals. The new law provides for the continuance of stay of students in the UK if they are offered jobs with pay of at least 20,000 pounds.
Britain has been a significant supplier of defence equipment to India. The recent Defence Expo near Chennai attracted a large number of British firms interested both in selling their wares and also in setting up production facilities in India. Joshi said that UK firms are looking for more opportunities to participate in events like the TN Global Investors Meet.
