Dr Jason Wouhra OBE and Birmingham-based wholesaler Lioncroft Wholesale took centre stage at an event at the House of Lords in the first celebration in Parliament of Indian Independence in 76 years.
This event, the first of its kind, was held at Westminster in July and was attended by more than 130 people, all celebrating Indian independence and promoting international trade between India and the UK.
“As a British Indian, it is a very proud moment to be standing in the House of Lords at such an event, especially as it is led by our family business, Lioncroft Wholesale,” said Dr Wouhra as he welcomed guests, including Sir Keir Starmer, Baroness Verma, Lord Bilimoria and ambassadors and high commissioners from eight countries.
“Lioncroft Wholesale supplies more than 9,000 retailers, bars, restaurant and stadia with food and beverages and we are one of the largest operators of our kind in the UK. However, we are just one of many successful British Indian businesses.”“The Indian diaspora are four per cent of the [UK] population which contribute nine per cent of our GDP. We are known for our entrepreneurial spirit, professional expertise and contributions to various sectors, such as food, finance, technology and healthcare.”
As Chair of the West Midlands India Partnership, Dr Wouhra recognises the impact of Indian investment on British businesses, saying: “In the first three years of the Partnership, we have seen Indian foreign direct investment into the West Midlands overtake that of the USA. This is a wonderful achievement and a sign of how the UK is deemed to be a great place to invest for Indian businesses looking to expand.”
Looking to the future, Dr Wouhra said: “We cannot ignore that India is the world’s fifth largest economy at $3.75 trillion, and it is most important that we build on our strong ties with India for the future success of the UK economy.”
