Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will embark on an official visit to the UK and Austria on Tuesday, where she is expected to attend ministerial-level bilateral meetings.
She will visit the two nations from April 8 to April 15.
During her visit, Finance Minister Sitharaman will participate in the 13th Ministerial round of India–UK Economic & Financial Dialogue and engagements with think tanks, investors, and business leaders in the United Kingdom and Austria.
Economic And Financial Dialogue
“The 13th round of the India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (13th EFD) is scheduled to be held in London, United Kingdom on 9th of April 2025. The 13th EFD dialogue will be co-chaired by the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs and the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer,” read a statement issued by the Indian government.
The 13th EFD is a significant bilateral platform between the two countries that offers opportunities for candid engagement at minister-level, officer-level, working groups and between the respective regulatory bodies in various aspects of financial collaboration, including investment matters, financial services, financial regulations, UPI interlinkages, taxation matters and illicit financial flows.
The key priorities of the 13th EFD dialogue for the Indian side include cooperation in IFSC GIFT City, investment, insurance and pension sectors, FinTech and Digital economy, and mobilising affordable and sustainable climate finance.
The Union Finance Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer are also set to announce and launch various reports and new initiatives for further collaborations.
On the sidelines of India-UK 13th EFD, Sitharaman will engage in bilateral meetings with key dignitaries, participate in investor roundtables and other meetings with heads of key financial institutions and companies.
India-UK Investor Roundtable
During the United Kingdom leg of the official visit, the Union Finance Minister will deliver the keynote address at the India-UK Investor Roundtable in presence of Chief Executive Officers of international organisations, including key management personnel from across the UK financial ecosystem covering pension funds, insurance companies, banks, and financial services institutions among others.
Nirmala Sitharaman, along with UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, will co-host the Roundtable in partnership with the City of London, with top CEOs and senior management of prominent pension funds and asset managers in the UK as participants.
Austria Trip
During the Austrian leg of the official visit, the Union Finance Minister will hold bilateral meetings with senior Austrian government leaders, including Markus Marterbauer, Finance Minister, Austria; and Christian Stocker, the Federal Chancellor, Austria.
Sitharaman and Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Austrian Minister for Economy, Energy and Tourism, will co-chair a session with key Austrian CEOs to apprise them of existing and upcoming opportunities in India for deeper investment collaboration between the two countries.
(With inputs from IBNS)
