Indian, French companies pledge £1.3 bn for UK clean energy and battery projects

Indian and French companies have committed more than £1.3 billion in new investments in the United Kingdom, with a strong focus on clean energy, battery storage and advanced manufacturing projects, the British government announced during the G7 Summit in Evian.

The investment package, expected to create more than 1,400 jobs across the UK, was unveiled as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held talks aimed at deepening economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries.

According to the UK government, a French private equity firm will invest £1 billion in battery storage and flexible energy projects, supporting Britain's efforts to strengthen energy security and accelerate its transition towards cleaner sources of power.

India-based clean energy investor Atri Energy Transition has pledged more than £300 million to develop large-scale battery storage facilities and advanced manufacturing operations in the UK. The investment is expected to boost the country's energy storage capacity, a critical component of integrating renewable energy into the power grid.

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In a separate announcement, Indian technology services company Hexaware Technologies will invest £25 million to expand its UK operations, adding to a broader package of foreign investments secured by the British government.

The announcements came against the backdrop of growing India-UK economic ties, which featured prominently in discussions between Modi and Starmer on the sidelines of the G7 gathering.

Trade pact implementation in focus

A key focus of the bilateral meeting was the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which both governments see as a landmark deal capable of significantly increasing trade and investment flows.

The two leaders reviewed progress on the agreement and expressed optimism about its early implementation, highlighting the opportunities it could create for businesses and workers in both countries.

India and the UK have steadily expanded economic engagement in recent years, with bilateral trade reaching record levels. Officials believe the trade pact will unlock further growth across manufacturing, services, technology and green industries.

Vision 2035 roadmap reviewed

According to India's Ministry of External Affairs, Modi and Starmer also assessed progress under the Vision 2035 framework, the long-term roadmap guiding cooperation between New Delhi and London.

The discussions covered a wide range of sectors, including economic growth, defence and security, climate action, clean energy, technology, education and people-to-people exchanges.

The leaders also reviewed cooperation under the India-UK Technology Security Initiative and welcomed progress in strategic areas such as critical minerals. They noted the recent launch of the India-UK Critical Minerals Global Supply Chain Observatory, an initiative designed to strengthen resilience in critical mineral supply chains amid growing geopolitical uncertainties.

Education and technology ties expand

Education cooperation also featured prominently during the talks.

Modi and Starmer welcomed the growing collaboration between Indian and British universities and highlighted progress on plans by leading UK institutions to establish campuses in India.

The leaders noted that the University of Liverpool is moving ahead with a campus in Bengaluru, while the University of York and the University of Bristol are progressing with plans to set up campuses in Mumbai.

The initiatives are expected to deepen academic collaboration, research partnerships and student mobility between the two countries.

Technology and innovation formed another major pillar of the discussions. Modi thanked the UK government for its strong participation in the AI Impact Summit hosted by India earlier this year in New Delhi, which brought together policymakers, industry leaders and researchers to discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with artificial intelligence.