9th May 2017 Chennai, India
In March, I had the absolute delight of visiting India for the first time in my life and the whole week was an adventure, both personally and commercially. Experiencing the Indian way of life, the hospitality and incredible proactivity to doing business were all eye-opening, as was the traffic! I help run Innovation Birmingham, the […]
22nd November 2016 Bangalore, India
I arrived in India after an exciting few days at the Innovate 2016 event in Manchester, co-hosted by Innovate UK and the Department for International Trade. Cities of the future were an important theme of the event, showcasing UK innovation. Panel sessions and presentations covered topics ranging from urban living to autonomous transport, and digital […]
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17th November 2013 Chennai, India
The sudden absence of adrenaline, imminent deadlines, last-minute glitches and 10 things to do at once has actually brought a massive and slightly dreary sense of anti-climax. I probably shouldn’t be that surprised that several colleagues have fallen ill: like a car, human beings aren’t designed to go from fifth gear into first instantaneously. Even […]
15th November 2013 Chennai, India
That’s it. It’s all over. Just under an hour ago, their Royal Highnesses flight took off for the short hop to Colombo and what could be a more difficult Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting than is usual. The day dawned beautifully for the Prince of Wales’ 65th birthday – divine intervention in God’s own country? […]
14th November 2013 Chennai, India
Yesterday was simply amazing. The visit to Cochin shipyard to see the extent of UK involvement in this thriving operation, including by Rolls Royce and MTS, was a much bigger event than any we could ever have managed. Thousands of workers stopped and cheered, and His Royal Highness seemed to engage with all of them. […]
13th November 2013 Chennai, India
Today is the most challenging day. Two separate programmes for their Royal Highnesses mean that all our staff will be in the field, leaving limited surge capacity to handle any unexpected issues. and weather forecasts predicting the start of the monsoon add to the risks. His Royal Highness will visit Cochin Shipyard where UK companies […]
12th November 2013 Chennai, India
It’s hard to describe the maelstrom that is a big, high-level visit. The calm before the visit is transformed instantly into high-octane excitement. Impressive convoys that had been sitting idle moments earlier roar into action. Massive crowds seem to suddenly materialise everywhere, many with hastily written welcome placards. The first visit was to the hugely […]
11th November 2013 Chennai, India
We all woke up early a few hours to see the horrifying death toll in the Philippines. A reminder of the power of nature. The resilience of the people is humbling. And the impressive speed at which NGOs and Aid Agencies – including DfID – have moved is impressive and will save many lives. We’re […]
10th November 2013 Chennai, India
It’s really hard to believe that I’ve been in Chennai for 2 months: it still feels like a dream. Our departure from Cameroon was quick, with a one-week stop in the UK for a brilliant Course on South Asia at Kings. The perfect induction into Asia after 4 brilliant if challenging years in Africa. Working […]
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