He said there was nothing more fitting than ‘to have a Consul General inaugurate her Consulate’ on International Women’s Day, referring to India’s new Consul General in Manchester, Vishakha Yaduvanshi. 

Jaishankar said that ‘the Consulate inauguration was a testament to how the India-U.K. relationship had changed. It is equally a preparation for what is to come. We are clearly anticipating a very big pick up in the relationship in the times to come.’ 

Source: DrSJaishankar

Jaishankar also visited the Lancashire Cricket Club at the Old Trafford cricket ground, where he highlighted  the role of the diaspora. Presumably referring to the geopolitical shifts precipitated by the new foreign policy direction of U.S. President Donald Trump, Mr. Jaishankar said ‘When we see the direction of the world today, I would say that the case for deepening these ties gets stronger, not weaker and one current expression of that is the sort of accelerated effort that we are putting in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). 

Source: DrSJaishankar

Mr. Jaishankar indicated that the FTA was symbolic of the India-U.K. bilateral relationship moving into a higher orbit. The Minister also announced the launch of a Pravasiya Bhartiya Sahayata Kendra (Non-Resident Indian Help Centre) in the U.K., the first in this part of the world. The inauguration of the Consulate is a step delivered on the longstanding desire of our community and friends of India in Manchester. This latest addition to our presence in the UK will strengthen people to people, cultural, trade and cricket ties.