British Foreign Secretary attending G20 will launch opening of the Young Professionals Scheme, and announce UKs first Tech Envoy to the Indo-Pacific region

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is visiting India to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting and to mark a new scheme allowing young Britons and Indians to live and work in each other’s country for up to two years, which was announced by the Home Secretary earlier this week.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will meet Cleverly on Wednesday, ahead of the G-20 foreign ministers’ gathering in New Delhi. They are expected to discuss progress on the UK-India 2030 Roadmap, which aims to bolster the two countries’ ties in defence and security, trade and investment.

During a visit to IIT Delhi on Wednesday, Cleverly will mark the opening of the Young Professionals Scheme, a partnership between the UK and India which allows up 3,000 Britons and 3,000 Indians each year the right to live and work in the other country for up to two years.

He will also announce the creation of the UK’s first Tech Envoy to the Indo-Pacific region, who will boost ties with India as a priority.

“This envoy is the second of its kind to be announced by the UK (after the appointment of a Tech Envoy to the US in late 2020) and demonstrates our commitment to the region and tech-diplomacy,” a British High Commission statement said. The UK deployed its first Tech Envoy, Joe White, to San Francisco in 2020.

The statement said that the new Tech Envoy’s role will boost the UK’s status as a science and tech superpower.

On Thursday, Cleverly will attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting to work with partners to advance global efforts on food and energy security, climate change and development. 

Cleverly will also address an India-Europe business event in the capital where he will reaffirm the UK’s commitment to conclude a Free Trade Agreement with India. With more links than almost any country in the Indo-Pacific, the UK-India trading relationship is already worth £34 billion, growing by £10 billion in one year.