Underlining the need for ‘easier’ visa process for students, British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India, Peter Beckingham, has said that Indian students are safe in his country.
"The need of the hour is to have easier and suitable visa process between India and Britain for the students migrating to UK for education and vice versa," Beckingham said while interacting with reporters last evening during his visit to the city.
Seeking to allay concerns over safety of Indian students in his country against the backdrop of the murder of 23-year-old Lancaster University student Anuj Bidve last year, the envoy said, "Barring a few incidents, thousand of students from India, Pakistan and China are safe in United Kingdom, while a number of syllabuses of Oxford University are operational in India".
Beckingham also observed that the city has unlocked business potential which can be exploited for its growth on many fronts.
"There are many investment opportunities in Nashik city, especially in areas of food processing, industries, healthcare, education and tourism," he said.
The envoy, who is on a two-day visit to the city, commonly known as ‘wine capital’ for production of grapes, met top district officials and local industry representatives before visiting fly-ash project, DIRK India, at Eklahare on Nashik-Pune highway.
The project recycles fly ash from Nashik Thermal Power Station into a valuable cement replacement product.
"As per the survey undertaken by UK, we have selected eighteen cities in country, including Nashik, to boost trade and investment. As major investment is being made in New Delhi and Mumbai and DIRK India being operational here, a number of British companies will invest in India within the next two years," he said.
Beckingham further said that wine produced in Nashik district has good business prospects in future.