The Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) and King’s College London (KCL) have jointly collaborated on a joint research project on the enablers and obstacles to UK-India trade.
Titled ‘Enablers and Obstacles for UK-India Trade: Banks and Diasporas’, the research was unveiled during a conference that brought together prominent scholars, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss the global potential of India's Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), especially in the handicrafts sector.
The research, funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), highlighted the opportunities and challenges MSMEs face, with a particular focus on the handwoven carpet industry in Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Led by professor Kamini Gupta and professor Sunil Mitra Kumar of KCL, alongside professor Prateek Raj from IIMB, the report emphasized the importance of social networks and access to credit for small firms. It found that many firms rely more on inter-firm credit rather than traditional banking loans.
It also outlined the industry’s export potential, with Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh leading the way in mass-market exports, while Kashmir specializes in luxury carpets. Prateek Raj noted that Kashmir’s carpet industry could grow significantly with better export assistance.
The research emphasized the potential for job creation, particularly for women, in these traditional industries, which show strong innovation in design and production methods.
The launch event was co-hosted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), with the next phase of the conference scheduled at IIM Jammu.
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