The University took part in the Great North trade mission, which brought together seven northern Mayors and senior leaders from business and academia to showcase the North of England and strengthen links with India across trade, investment, innovation, culture, sport and the visitor economy.
The trade mission represented the first major regional response to the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which came into force in July 2026. The UK Government estimates that the deal will increase annual bilateral trade by £25.5 billion by 2040 and add £4.8 billion a year to the UK economy.
Dharmendra Shadija, Head of the School of Computing and Digital Technologies at Sheffield Hallam University, took part in the visit as part of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority delegation led by Mayor Oliver Coppard.
The mission brought nearly 200 representatives from across the North of England to India to promote the region’s economic strengths, attract investment and visitors, and forge new partnerships between universities, businesses and institutions.
The four-day programme began in New Delhi before the Yorkshire delegation continued to Hyderabad and Mumbai for a dedicated programme of meetings and partnership activity.
During the visit Sheffield Hallam signed agreements with the International Institute of Sports & Management (IISM), Somaiya Vidyavihar University and the ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (IFHE).
Professor Liz Mossop, Sheffield Hallam University Vice-Chancellor, said: “We are delighted to be strengthening our relationships with India through these new and renewed partnerships. This landmark trade mission has provided an important opportunity to deepen our connections, celebrate our shared ambitions and build new opportunities for collaboration.
“By bringing together our expertise in education, research and innovation, we can create lasting benefits for students, staff and communities in both countries, while strengthening the international links that help our university and our region thrive.”
Sheffield Hallam renewed its Memorandum of Understanding with IFHE, based in Hyderabad, marking an important step in strengthening international engagement and academic collaboration between the two institutions.
The agreement will enable Sheffield Business School and its Indian counterpart to explore opportunities in research, student and staff mobility, and the development of new educational pathways, creating potential benefits for students, staff and researchers in both the UK and India.
It reflects a shared commitment to enhancing education, advancing research and developing wider collaborative opportunities that benefit both institutions and their academic communities.
Dr Sam Giove, Director of Sheffield Business School at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “Sheffield Business School is proud to be represented on the Great North trade mission to India and to renew our MoU with the ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education. This reflects our ambition to strengthen ties with prestigious Indian business schools that share our mission and vision. We will now explore progression pathways, study abroad and virtual engagement opportunities, and summer schools.”
A renewed MoU with Mumbai-based International Institute of Sports & Management also builds on an established relationship and provides a framework to explore joint research and knowledge exchange; staff and student mobility; recruitment and progression routes; programme development; and industry engagement.
The partnership aligns IISM’s specialist expertise in sports management and sports science with Sheffield Hallam’s strengths in sport education, applied research, sports engineering, physical activity and the wider sport industry.
Dr Ruth M Crabtree, Head of the School of Sport and Physical Activity at Sheffield Hallam, said: “This agreement provides an exciting platform for Sheffield Hallam to deepen its engagement in India and create mutually beneficial opportunities in education, research and knowledge exchange. Our renewed relationship with IISM brings together complementary expertise in sports management and sports science. Our priority now is to translate the MoU into meaningful opportunities for students, staff and our partners.”
A new institution-wide MoU with Somaiya Vidyavihar University will support discussions on joint research, staff and student exchange, progression arrangements, joint programme development and other academic activity across the University.
