Business leader takes centre stage at House of Lords
A Black Country businessman took a leading role at a celebration in Parliament of Indian independence that also promoted trade between the country and the UK.
Dr Jason Wouhra is chief executive of Birmingham-based wholesaler Lioncroft Wholesale which has a cash and carry in Smethwick.
The event at the House of Lords was attended by more than 130 people.
Dr Wouhra, a former director of West Bromwich-based East End Foods and chairman of the West Midlands India Partnership welcomed guests and said; “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."
Guests included Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Baroness Verma and Lord Bilimoria.
“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 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," said Sr Wouhra.
He explained that in the first three years of the partnership, Indian foreign direct investment into the West Midlands had overtaken that of the United States.
"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," he added.
Looking to the future, Dr Wouhra said: “We cannot ignore that India is the world’s fifth largest economy at US $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.”
