Vikas Pota (born 3rd July 1974) is a British author and media commentator on issues concerning Indian business and politics. He is also a co-founder of the government relations and communications strategy business, Saffron Chase. Pota is the author of 'India Inc: How India's Top Ten Entrepreneurs Are Winning Globally', published 4 December 2009 by Nicholas Brealey Publishing. He is a regular commentator on all aspects of the UK-India business relationship and Indian political scene. He writes a blog on globalisation and India, and appears regularly on CNN, BBC News 24, BBC World TV and Al-Jazeera. He has commented in the Financial Times, the Guardian, the Observer, and The Independent on Sunday on issues ranging from outsourcing to the impact of the Indian Elections and Mumbai attacks on Indian business.

He has advised multinationals that have invested billions of dollars in India as well as prominent Ministers and Parliamentarians on UK-India relations. As well as advising government departments, and companies on breaking developments in South Asia, he has written submissions for the UK Trade & Investment Select Committee and taken part in discussions on off-shoring and the globalisation of services at the Trades Union Congress Conference.

At Saffron Chase, which he co-founded, Pota leads a team to provide business communications and government relations advice to key corporate clients across a wide range of subjects including climate change politics, public sector procurement for IT services firms, banking and financial services legislation and regulatory matters. Saffron Chase represents many leading Indian companies in Europe, including TATA, ICICI Bank, Wockhardt and TCS (Tata Consulting Services).

The company has been described as displaying "excellence in every aspect of what they do" by TATA Managing Director S.A Hasan. Through Saffron Chase, Pota launched the India Briefing Centre in 2008 to provide the first bespoke training courses for firms needing an in-depth understanding of the Indian political, economic, and cultural climate. He followed this up by establishing the first UK-India Public Affairs company, Chase India.

Prior to founding Saffron Chase, Vikas was appointed as the first Director of an India focused parliamentary group in Westminster (Labour Friends of India). The role involved building a directorate that lead on all campaigns and issues that strengthened the UK - India bilateral & multilateral relationship. He worked with several key government departments and Ministers with the primary aim of providing political briefings and devising strategies on key subjects ranging from outsourcing, inward investment, sectoral/industry activity to international aid, terrorism, and education linkage with India.

A business management graduate of Aston University, Pota is a keen charity fundraiser, even learning to swim in order to raise funds at a charity sailing event in aid of Sewa International. He has participated in sponsored walks for Sewa International, raised funds for Macmillan Cancer Relief and Indian educational charity, Pratham. He organised a candlelight vigil, in memory of the victims of Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, at Canary Wharf, London. He mentors young people, serves as a Governor of a local primary school in London was has been a Trustee of the prestigious Windsor Fellowship. Pota lives with his wife and two daughters in London.

Click here to read about Vikas Pota's book 'India Inc'
Visit www.saffronchase.com for further information.
Visit www.vikaspota.com to read Vikas's blog

Profile Updated: 4 November 2009

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