The quarterly briefing for cross-border capital
The UK FDI Index.
A quarterly index tracking Indian investment into the United Kingdom — how many Indian-owned companies operate here, the sectors they back, and where the next wave of capital is heading as the UK–India CETA takes effect. Compiled from the India Meets Britain inward-investment data and Vrkan:AI corridor indicators.
Indian companies in the UK
The corridor’s core signal: the population of Indian-owned businesses operating in Britain, and what they contribute. Source: India Meets Britain Tracker 2025 (Grant Thornton & CII).
| Metric | Latest | Movement |
|---|---|---|
| Indian-owned companies in the UK | 1,197 | +23% YoY — record high |
| Combined turnover | £72.14 billion | Up from £68.09 billion |
| People employed | 126,720 | 8,000+ new jobs |
| Corporation tax paid | £67.3 million | — |
| Companies growing >10% | 74 | 35 London-based (£1.9bn revenue) |
Sector distribution — Indian-owned UK companies
Where India’s corporate presence in Britain concentrates, as a share of tracked companies.
| Sector | Share of companies | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Technology, media & telecoms (TMT) | 31% | ▲ up from 27% |
| Pharmaceuticals & chemicals | 22% | ◆ strong second |
| Financial services | 9.5% | ▲ highest in years |
| All other sectors | 37.5% | — |
▲ growing share · ◆ range-bound. Fastest movers in the 2025 Tracker included Wipro (+448% revenue), Zoho (+197%, new entrant), ICICI Bank (+56%) and Kotak Mahindra Bank (+35%).
Where the next wave is heading
At the CETA signing (July 2025), nearly £6 billion of new India–UK investment and export wins were announced, tied to 2,200+ UK jobs — concentrated in aerospace, technology and advanced manufacturing. With the agreement in force from 15 July 2026 and both governments targeting bilateral trade of US$100 billion by 2030 under the India–UK Roadmap 2030, the pipeline is widening. The table below is Vrkan’s directional read of where Indian capital is most likely to flow next.
| Sector | Near-term driver | Vrkan signal |
|---|---|---|
| Technology, AI & fintech | Digital-services access; London as a global finance hub | ▲ Strong |
| Aerospace & advanced manufacturing | ~£5bn Airbus / Rolls-Royce aircraft & engine deals; supply-chain localisation | ▲ Strong |
| Financial & professional services | Indian bank expansion; CETA services chapter | ▲ Strong |
| Pharmaceuticals & life sciences | IP alignment; NHS and European market access | ▲ Building |
| Clean energy & advanced materials | Net-zero mandates; transformer, EV and materials supply | ▲ Building |
| Consumer, retail & agri-tech | Tariff cuts under CETA; brand and D2C entry | ◆ Emerging |
Signals are directional and indicative, not forecasts of specific deal value. They reflect announced investment, corridor momentum and Vrkan:AI scoring — not a recommendation on any instrument or transaction.
Methodology
The Vrkan UK FDI Index blends four data streams:
- Corporate footprint — India Meets Britain Tracker. Annual data on Indian-owned companies in the UK: count, turnover, employment and growth leaders.
- Official inward investment — ONS & DBT. UK inward FDI positions and project data from the Office for National Statistics and Department for Business & Trade.
- Deal & policy flow — CETA and government announcements. Investment and export wins tied to the UK–India trade agreement and the India–UK Roadmap 2030.
- Vrkan:AI corridor signal. Our GeoPolitical Risk Index contribution — multi-indicator scoring across sanctions, regulation, election cycles and trade-flow disruption, normalised to a corridor-quality adjustment.
The index is directional, not prescriptive. It signals whether corridor conditions for Indian capital into the UK are improving or weakening relative to the trailing baseline — not which instrument or transaction to pursue. Regulated legal, tax and FEMA/FDI advice stays with qualified professionals you appoint or we coordinate.
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Sources: India Meets Britain Tracker UK Government. Figures indicative and updated each quarter.