Gandhinagar, Feb 23 (NationPress) A distinguished delegation from the West Midlands Combined Authority engaged with Gujarat's Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar, marking their inaugural visit to the state after the recent UK–India trade agreement.

Led by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, the discussions focused on collaboration in higher education, the green economy, electric vehicles, skill development, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing.

Additionally, the delegation explored opportunities for partnership in enhancing sports infrastructure and the overall sports ecosystem in anticipation of the 2030 Commonwealth Games set to take place in Gujarat.

During the discussions, CM Patel remarked that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, India has become a reliable partner for countries globally.

He highlighted that Gujarat has reaped substantial benefits from policy-driven governance and ongoing investment initiatives since the inception of the Vibrant Gujarat campaign in 2003.

"Gujarat has transformed into a premier global investment hub thanks to sector-specific policies and continuous reforms," stated the Chief Minister.

In line with the vision of 'Viksit Bharat-2047', he expressed Gujarat's readiness to spearhead initiatives in emerging sectors like green growth and assured full cooperation in partnership areas proposed by the UK delegation.

The visiting members showed interest in leveraging UK expertise in fields such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and university-led innovation.

They also invited CM Patel and an esteemed delegation from Gujarat to visit West Midlands as part of the preparations for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

CM Patel recommended establishing a joint working group with officials from both Gujarat and the West Midlands to streamline efforts and enhance cooperation.

He proposed that iNDEXTb be appointed as the nodal agency for this collaboration and welcomed the foreign delegation to engage in the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference and the Vibrant Summit-2027.

The delegation comprised senior representatives from the West Midlands Growth Company, E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions, the University of Warwick Innovation District, the University of Birmingham, GEDU, Aston University, and the UKIFF India Global Forum.

Notable state government officials including Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) Mamta Verma and Industries Commissioner P. Swaroop were in attendance during the meeting.