As Andy Burnham becomes UK PM, his India pitch from 2019 visit returns to focus

As Andy Burnham prepares to take office as the United Kingdom's new Prime Minister, attention is returning to his long-standing engagement with India and the views he expressed during a high-profile visit to the country in 2019.

Long before his rise to 10 Downing Street, Burnham had described India as a key partner for Greater Manchester, highlighting opportunities for deeper cooperation across business, technology, education and healthcare.

Burnham, who is set to replace Keir Starmer after the Labour leader stepped down amid mounting political pressure, has built his reputation on regional development and economic partnerships.

During his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester, he frequently argued that Britain's future growth would depend on stronger international ties, with India occupying a prominent place in that strategy.

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His 2019 visit to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi is now being revisited as an early indication of the importance he attached to India-UK ties, particularly in sectors that remain central to both governments' economic priorities.

A 2019 visit focused on stronger India-UK cooperation

Burnham travelled to India in 2019 as Mayor of Greater Manchester as part of a visit organised by the Manchester India Partnership (MIP). The programme was aimed at strengthening cooperation between Greater Manchester and India across business, education, research and innovation.

During the visit, Burnham described India as a crucial market in Greater Manchester's international strategy.

"India is a key market in Greater Manchester's internationalisation strategy as it presents significant opportunities to the city-region, but these opportunities are mutual, and Greater Manchester is also helping India with its own economic growth plans," he said at the time.

Rather than viewing India only as an export market, Burnham emphasised a two-way partnership in which both sides could benefit through investment, knowledge-sharing and innovation.

Technology, healthcare and education among key priorities

Burnham identified several sectors where he believed India and Greater Manchester could deepen cooperation.

Digital technology, software development and advanced manufacturing featured prominently in his vision, areas that continue to be major priorities for the current Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also highlighted engineering, innovation and research as sectors capable of driving long-term investment between the two countries.

Healthcare and life sciences were another major focus. Burnham spoke of opportunities for collaboration in medical research, healthcare innovation and partnerships between universities and research institutions.

He also stressed the importance of strengthening connectivity between India and northern England, including expanding direct flight links and encouraging greater tourism and business travel.

Beyond economic ties, Burnham pointed to education, sports and cultural exchanges as important pillars of the relationship. University collaborations, student exchanges, diaspora engagement and sporting partnerships were among the areas he believed could help build stronger people-to-people links.

Broader economic outlook towards Asia

Burnham's emphasis on India also aligns with the broader economic thinking of one of his long-time advisers, economist Jim O'Neill, who coined the term "Bric" to describe the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China.

O'Neill has consistently argued that Britain's future economic success depends on deeper engagement with fast-growing Asian economies.

"The places that are going to make a difference to our trade and investment performance are China, India and Indonesia ... places which have a large number of people, which are growing fast, and which are taking a growing share of global GDP. Somewhere along the line, you've got to recognize that reality," O'Neill told The Observer.

As Burnham prepares to lead the UK government, his earlier remarks suggest he sees India as more than a strategic partner. His focus on technology, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, education and innovation closely mirrors sectors that have become increasingly important in the India-UK relationship in recent years.