G7: Starmer unveils £1.3bn investment from French and Indian firms into UK – with 1,400 jobs to be created
Sir Keir Starmer has announced that French and Indian companies will invest £1.3bn in clean energy and artificial intelligence projects in the UK.
This funding is planned to create more than 1,400 jobs in Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham.
The investment includes £1bn from French private equity firm InfraVia for battery storage and a flexible energy platform designed to boost supply when renewable energy is low.
India’s Hexaware Technologies will contribute £25 million, while Atri Energy Transition will contribute an additional £300 million for large-scale battery storage development.
Sir Keir said: “The world is more dangerous than it has been in a generation, with conflicts crashing on our shores abroad.
“That’s why I’m focused on making the UK the best place to do business by providing global investors with the stability and competitive environment they need to grow, even in the face of global uncertainty.
“These investments will create thousands of high-skilled jobs, support British innovation and strengthen our energy system so families are better protected from global shocks.”
The Prime Minister is working with G7 partners to ease pressures on global energy markets, including efforts to stabilize key shipping routes to help reduce costs for households and ease tensions in the Middle East.
Earlier on Tuesday, Starmer insisted Donald Trump had not raised any concerns about Britain’s defense spending, just days after the defense secretary resigned and accused him of being unwilling to commit sufficient resources to Britain’s struggling military.
The Prime Minister rejected the US President’s suggestions for snubs, although no bilateral meetings between the two leaders are planned for Tuesday or Wednesday.
Sir Keir, whose relationship with Mr Trump has reportedly become more strained in recent months, maintained that the pair “get on really well”. He highlighted a “very honest and frank conversation” they shared during a two-hour working lunch on Monday.
Notably, the US President has reportedly not expressed any concerns about Sir Keir’s recently announced policy of banning social media for those under 16. This comes despite the Trump administration having previously advised the UK against imposing such a measure.
The discussions are unfolding against a backdrop of Mr. Trump’s consistent calls for NATO allies to increase defense spending, accompanied by threats to withdraw from the alliance if nations do not contribute enough.
