Radio Design MD Endorses Prime Minister’s Commercial Expedition to India

The boss of a Shipley electronics company which is launching a manufacturing operation In India has welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to the sub-continent this week to drum-up trade for British business.

Eric Hawthorn, managing director of Radio Design Limited, said the visit was a welcome move and would hopefully help more UK firms to do business there.
Radio Design, which pioneered technology enabling mobile phone networks to share transmission masts, already employs around 30 staff in India providing technology services from a base in New Delhi.

“We have held off expanding into manufacturing until it was clear that there would be sufficient demand. Now that a 2G licensing scandal has been sorted out and operators know what licenses they will have, the time is right for us to move into manufacturing for the Indian market.

“The Prime Minister’s visit is welcome and will hopefully benefit more British companies in a market which is enticing but very difficult to develop,” said Mr Hawthorn.

John Roper, sales director at Ashtree Vision & Safety Ltd, Bradford, is also looking to build up trade in India where he recently completed its first order for construction equipment mirrors.
Mr Roper also hoped that its status as a supplier to UK manufacturer Optare, which is owned by an Indian company, would help pave the way to more business.

“We’re a small company and can’t easily justify getting on a plane to India, but we know there is a potential market there so will look at avenues which help us to develop business there. Hopefully Mr Cameron’s visit will help us and others to do just that,” John said.

For Bradford-based Shaw Moisture Meters India is one of its top six worldwide markets and the firm has exported its precision measuring equipment there for more than 30 years to industrial companies.

Managing director Tim Peters said: “It’s a growth market and we are seeing increasing levels of business. We have a strong presence there and it’s improving. We have a massive plus in India because of our pedigree. Our history of being an established British manufacturing company stands us in good stead.”

Saltaire e-based digital TV technology company Pace plc clinched three major contracts in India last year, where 80 million homes will be switched to digital TV services by 2015.
During his visit David Cameron said he wants Britain’s partnership with India to be “a really special relationship” for the 21st century.

“Britain wants to be your partner of choice,” said Mr Cameron in Mumbai. “We think there are huge ties of history and language and culture and business, but we think we have only just started on the sort of partnership we could build.”