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President Pratibha Patil has asked Britain to allow "freer movement" of Indians who wish to work and reside in the UK which will ensure that India-British ties are in their "full potential."
"For any relationship to achieve its full potential, the enhancements in business links have to be correspondingly matched by freer movement of peoples, professionals and business travellers," said Patil while talking at a meeting of business leaders organised by the UK-India Business Council (UKIBC) in London.
"I hope that both sides will be able to work out a mechanism conducive to the free movement of professionals and businessmen which will be important for sustaining the flourishing business links," she added.
Her comments were made after Business Minister of Britain, Peter Mandelson, called for greater economic liberalisation of financial as well as legal services in India.
Patil said both Indians and Britons are "well known for their enterprising spirit and their ability to constantly explore newer areas and fields."
"I am sure that when they join hands together, they have the capacity to bring success. I would urge the businesspersons present here to find ways and means to further intensify their engagements so that economic relations between our two countries can be deepened further," she added.
The meeting was attended by top British and Indian businessmen, including Tata managing director Anwar Hassan, Vodafone CEO Vittoria Colao, Standard Chartered Bank vice-chairman Tom Harris, UKIBC chair Patricia Hewitt and Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi.
