Indian-owned companies in UK surge in record investment year: Report

The number of Indian-owned companies in the UK surged by nearly 60 per cent year-on-year to rise to 1,912 with a combined turnover of 105.77 billion pounds, according to the ‘India Meets Britain Tracker 2026’.

The latest edition of the annual Grant Thornton-led analysis of Indian investment and economic impact in the UK was launched by Indian High Commissioner to the UK P Kumaran in London on Thursday.

The 2026 Tracker reflects a significant increase from the 1,197 Indian-owned firms generating around 72.14 billion pounds in 2025, as well as a jump in employee numbers from 126,720 last year to 203,549.

“The India-UK relationship today is no longer defined by nostalgia; it is defined by opportunity,” said Kumaran, in one of his first addresses as the new High Commissioner.

“India brings scale, growth, talent, and ambition, and the United Kingdom brings innovation, expertise, finance, and global leadership across advanced sectors, and together we have the chance to build one of the defining economic partnerships of the coming decades,” he said.

The 2026 Tracker notes that bilateral trade between India and the UK rose to 47.4 billion pounds in 2025, an 11.7 per cent year-on-year increase during the year which marked the signing of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

“With CETA now in place, the India-UK corridor is poised for unprecedented growth, creating value for both economies and cementing a long-term partnership,” said Anuj Chande, Grant Thornton Partner and Head of South Asia Business Group.

“We are continuing to see that the India-UK corridor is not just a trade relationship; it is a strategic partnership leveraging innovation, resilience, and shared ambitions.

“With nearly all Indian mid-market firms planning UK expansion and UK businesses eyeing India for growth, this collaboration is set to thrive in the coming years across technology, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing,” he said.

The implementation of CETA is expected to inject further momentum into bilateral trade and investment ties once it takes effect in the coming months.

“This year’s Tracker comes at a landmark moment in the UK-India relationship. The signing of CETA in 2025 marked a historic reset and businesses in both countries are now looking ahead to the opportunities it will unlock,” said Keshav Murugesh, CEO of WNS Group and chair of the UK-India Business Forum at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), one of the collaborators on the report.

“This partnership is about much more than just economics. It is rooted in shared values and strengthened by the 1.8 million-strong Indian diaspora in the UK, the living bridge that connects our two nations,” he said.

Will Carne, director of India Global Forum (IGF) - another co-collaborator on the Tracker, said the findings highlight the huge advantages of ever deeper UK engagement with an “outward-facing, globalising India”, which must be used as a “launchpad for further growth as CETA comes into effect”.

“The UK continues to grow as a key destination for Indian investment, crucially, in strategic areas that will determine future growth on both sides of the corridor. As Indian companies shift their focus towards innovation-led investments, regulatory alignment must keep pace to provide further headroom for growth,” he said.

The 2026 Tracker found that 66 companies reported annual revenue growth of at least 10 per cent and an average growth rate of 61 per cent.

According to the latest analysis of the Indian company footprint across the UK, technology, media and telecom (TMT) dominated in terms of sector focus followed by manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.

London held on to its pole position as the favourite destination with the city hosting 38 per cent of Indian businesses, but growth outside the UK capital continued its steady rise.

The report also highlights challenges such as rising operational costs, regulatory complexities and competition faced by Indian companies in the UK. However, it flags the country’s stable legal and financial systems, coupled with its focus on clean energy and digital technology, as offering significant long-term opportunities for further Indian expansion pathways.