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09
Oct
North Yorkshire mayor joins 200-strong India trade delegation
York and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith is joining a delegation of almost 200 people travelling to India next week in a bid to secure investment and business opportunities for the north of England.
The Labour mayor will be among representatives from businesses, universities, tourism, culture and sport taking part in the trip, which comes after the UK-India Free Trade Agreement came into force in July.
The agreement could be worth £450 million a year to the north, according to the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which Mr Skaith chairs.
However, the authority has not disclosed how much the trip will cost or how much public money is being used to fund it.
Mr Skaith said the delegation would build on existing links between the region and India:
There’s never been a better time to go out to India representing the north. Together we can strike new deals and bring home the quality jobs our communities deserve. We already have strong connections in India and they will only get stronger as the University of York recently welcomed their first students at its new Mumbai campus.
The delegation will take part in a north of England trade and investment event in Delhi, with the wider aim of attracting investment to the region and creating opportunities for northern businesses.
Business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds is also due to take part.
He said the delegation represented the next stage of the UK’s relationship with India following the trade agreement.
“From agreeing the India trade deal with Minister Goyal in Hyde Park last year to seeing it come into force this summer, the coalition of northern mayors and businesses is an exciting initiative in the next stage our partnership which is packed with economic opportunities from our most significant deal to date.”
How much will the trip cost?
The Stray Ferret asked the combined authority how much Mr Skaith’s participation in the delegation will cost and who will pay for it.
The authority did not provide a figure.
Instead, a spokesperson pointed to a £1 million budget approved by the combined authority in September 2025 for a three-year programme aimed at building international partnerships and raising the profile of York and North Yorkshire.
The spokesperson said:
The UK-India Free Trade Agreement entered into force in July, enabling York and North Yorkshire to explore opportunities with one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies.
In September 2025, the combined authority approved a £1 million budget over three years to support a programme of activity to build partnerships and raise the profile of York and North Yorkshire to the world.
Expenditure through agreed events will be reported back at future Cabinet meetings and shared publicly.
It remains unclear how much of that £1 million budget, if any, is being spent on the India delegation.
The authority said details of expenditure would be reported to future Cabinet meetings.
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