British Prime Minister David Cameron, left, chats with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their meeting in New Delhi on November 14, 2013
London:
The year 2013 saw positive momentum in India-UK ties with Prime Minister David Cameron leading not one but two delegations to India within months to strengthen bilateral relations though actions like a visa bond scheme conflicted with these initiatives.
Cameron's message while leading the biggest-ever trade mission to India in February was loud and clear: "India is going to be one of the leading nations in this century and we want to be your partners, and that's why I am here today."
In a joint statement issued during the visit, both the countries agreed that while substantial progress had been made, there was considerable potential for further expanding the relationship, particularly in trade and investment.
As if to stress the point even further, Cameron made another whirlwind stop in November on his way to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Sri Lanka.
According to official data, two-way trade during 2012-13 was $15.19 billion, showing a decline of about 6.78 per cent over the previous year.
UK is India's third largest FDI investor.
Top sectors attracting FDI from UK are petroleum, ports, services, roads and highways, computer software. India is the fifth largest investor in UK. There are around 700 Indian companies in the UK of which Tata is the largest private sector employer in the UK.
However, some of the government's actions conflicted with overall positive initiatives, such as the announcement of the controversial visa bond scheme for visitors from six countries, including India.
The plan to charge a whopping 3,000 pounds from tourists was eventually scrapped after widespread criticism of the mixed messages it was sending out.
The birth of the royal baby was another big news for Britain this year.
The world's media had their lenses and pens poised as they awaited the arrival of Prince William and Kate Middleton's baby boy, now the third in line to the British throne.
Baby George's christening ceremony in October capped the excitement round the royal birth, announced on the traditional easel of Buckingham Palace by Kolkata-born royal footman Badar Azim.
The year also saw Queen Elizabeth II celebrating the 60th anniversary of her coronation as the British monarch.
A special service at Westminster Abbey and a series of events in June were topped by the birth of her newest great-grandchild, Prince George, on July 22.
In August, there was the first-ever admission by a Pakistani diplomat about the whereabouts of India's most wanted criminal, Dawood Ibrahim. Shahryar Khan, the man appointed special envoy by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to improve relations with India, admitted during a visit to London that the gangster had been on Pakistani soil but was "chased out".
"If he is in Pakistan, he should be hounded and arrested. We cannot allow such gangsters to operate from the country," he said, creating a upheaval in India, which has always believed that Pakistan has knowledge of Ibrahim's movements.
Under fire for his candid remarks, Khan soon appeared to try and distance himself from his comments by claiming he was simply "reflecting what the Pakistani media has been saying about the gentleman".
At the end of the year, three Sikh men and a woman convicted of carrying out a revenge attack on Lt Gen (retired) K S Brar, the hero of the 1984 Operation Blue Star against militants inside the Golden Temple, were sentenced from 10 years to 14 years in prison.
The year also saw Malala Yousufzai, the Pakistani teenager who was airlifted to Birmingham after being shot in the head by Taliban fighters for her campaign in favour of girls' education, make a big splash in the UK.
After a miraculous recovery, she is now carrying on with her life as a regular schoolgirl but she remains in the news - whether it was her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize or being named the most influential Asian in Britain.
As she settles down to life in the UK, there is no doubt her educational campaign will continue to dominate headlines in 2014 too.
One very dubious Indian connection in Britain this year was the mind-boggling case of an Indian-origin extreme-Left commune leader who allegedly kept three women under slave-like conditions for over three decades.
Aravindan Balakrishnan, known as Comrade Bala, was arrested with his Tanzanian Indian wife, Chanda Pattni, after one of the women sought help by contacting a charity helpline.
The case sent shock waves around the world and is being investigated by Scotland Yard to establish the full facts.
Finally, on a heart-warming note, a Punjabi husband and wife celebrated their 88th wedding anniversary in Bradford in December to become Britain's oldest couple.
Karam Chand, 108, and his 101-year-old wife Katari marked the milestone with their eight children, 27 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
And the secret of their long and happy life together: "Eat and drink what you want but in moderation."
Cameron's message while leading the biggest-ever trade mission to India in February was loud and clear: "India is going to be one of the leading nations in this century and we want to be your partners, and that's why I am here today."
In a joint statement issued during the visit, both the countries agreed that while substantial progress had been made, there was considerable potential for further expanding the relationship, particularly in trade and investment.
As if to stress the point even further, Cameron made another whirlwind stop in November on his way to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Sri Lanka.
According to official data, two-way trade during 2012-13 was $15.19 billion, showing a decline of about 6.78 per cent over the previous year.
UK is India's third largest FDI investor.
Top sectors attracting FDI from UK are petroleum, ports, services, roads and highways, computer software. India is the fifth largest investor in UK. There are around 700 Indian companies in the UK of which Tata is the largest private sector employer in the UK.
However, some of the government's actions conflicted with overall positive initiatives, such as the announcement of the controversial visa bond scheme for visitors from six countries, including India.
The plan to charge a whopping 3,000 pounds from tourists was eventually scrapped after widespread criticism of the mixed messages it was sending out.
The birth of the royal baby was another big news for Britain this year.
The world's media had their lenses and pens poised as they awaited the arrival of Prince William and Kate Middleton's baby boy, now the third in line to the British throne.
Baby George's christening ceremony in October capped the excitement round the royal birth, announced on the traditional easel of Buckingham Palace by Kolkata-born royal footman Badar Azim.
The year also saw Queen Elizabeth II celebrating the 60th anniversary of her coronation as the British monarch.
A special service at Westminster Abbey and a series of events in June were topped by the birth of her newest great-grandchild, Prince George, on July 22.
In August, there was the first-ever admission by a Pakistani diplomat about the whereabouts of India's most wanted criminal, Dawood Ibrahim. Shahryar Khan, the man appointed special envoy by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to improve relations with India, admitted during a visit to London that the gangster had been on Pakistani soil but was "chased out".
"If he is in Pakistan, he should be hounded and arrested. We cannot allow such gangsters to operate from the country," he said, creating a upheaval in India, which has always believed that Pakistan has knowledge of Ibrahim's movements.
Under fire for his candid remarks, Khan soon appeared to try and distance himself from his comments by claiming he was simply "reflecting what the Pakistani media has been saying about the gentleman".
At the end of the year, three Sikh men and a woman convicted of carrying out a revenge attack on Lt Gen (retired) K S Brar, the hero of the 1984 Operation Blue Star against militants inside the Golden Temple, were sentenced from 10 years to 14 years in prison.
The year also saw Malala Yousufzai, the Pakistani teenager who was airlifted to Birmingham after being shot in the head by Taliban fighters for her campaign in favour of girls' education, make a big splash in the UK.
After a miraculous recovery, she is now carrying on with her life as a regular schoolgirl but she remains in the news - whether it was her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize or being named the most influential Asian in Britain.
As she settles down to life in the UK, there is no doubt her educational campaign will continue to dominate headlines in 2014 too.
One very dubious Indian connection in Britain this year was the mind-boggling case of an Indian-origin extreme-Left commune leader who allegedly kept three women under slave-like conditions for over three decades.
Aravindan Balakrishnan, known as Comrade Bala, was arrested with his Tanzanian Indian wife, Chanda Pattni, after one of the women sought help by contacting a charity helpline.
The case sent shock waves around the world and is being investigated by Scotland Yard to establish the full facts.
Finally, on a heart-warming note, a Punjabi husband and wife celebrated their 88th wedding anniversary in Bradford in December to become Britain's oldest couple.
Karam Chand, 108, and his 101-year-old wife Katari marked the milestone with their eight children, 27 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
And the secret of their long and happy life together: "Eat and drink what you want but in moderation."
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