Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was named in the ‘100 Most Influential in UK-India Relations: Celebrating Women’ list, which credited the BJP leader as one of India’s most “powerful women” who played a “pivotal” role in the bilateral relationship.

  “Having studied at the London School of Economics (LSE) and worked in the UK in her previous career, Nirmala is familiar with the UK more so than probably all her other colleagues,” the citation in the list says.

The list was launched by UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid to mark India Day in the Houses of Parliament in London. Besides Sitharaman, the list includes Britain’s Secretary of State for Defence Penny Mordaunt and Indian High Commissioner to the UK Ruchi Ghanashyam. “With India emerging as the world’s largest importer of defence products, and a significant strategic partner for the UK, Penny plays a crucial role in the UK-India relationship,” her citation notes.

Ghanashyam welcomed the compilation as a recognition of the “front and centre role” played by women in the bilateral relationship. “This list highlights the huge potential for the future of the UK and India as they continue to forge on together as two great countries.

From business to politics, and art and literacy, women are continuing to pave the way in bringing together this bold partnership through collaboration and relationships,” she said.  The women in the list hold positions of influence in India and the UK across 11 broad sectors including politics, technology and sustainability.

Some of the other prominent names include Indian-origin parliamentarians in the UK like Priti Patel and Baroness Sandy Verma, filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, Indian law firm chiefs Zia Mody and Pallavi S Shroff, Apollo Hospitals’ mana

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

₹ 10 - ₹ 1000

NYOOOZ FRIEND

₹ 2000 - ₹ 5000

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.