Tepid response to Indian student visa plea

Theresa May has called for the UK and India to promote the exchange of ideas, innovation and technology but appears lukewarm on student visas.

India and the UK should “[take] even more advantage of the links between us” and “put not only trade and investment, but also the exchange of ideas, innovation and technology, at the heart of our ambitions”, said the prime minister. However, she added that existing visa system already enables the UK to attract “the brightest and the best”, in a speech delivered in Delhi on 7 December.

Jo Johnson, the universities and science minister, and the representatives of 26 universities plus Universities UK and FutureLearn were also at the summit aimed at strengthening university and research links between the two countries. The second day of the conference will see an exchange of perspectives from UK and Indian universities on policy as well as looking at partnerships between industry and academia as part of a full-day summit on higher education.