Harjinder Kang
Biography
Harjinder Kang is His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia and the British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India. He was appointed in May 2023.
Prior to his appointment, Harjinder was the UK’s Chief Negotiator for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA). In parallel, he served as the Director for Trade Policy in the areas of Intellectual Property, Government Procurement and Core Text. He has previously served in the Department for International Trade as Director for Healthcare, Life Sciences, and Bioeconomy.
Before joining government, Harjinder had a career spanning nearly 30 years with AstraZeneca, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, joining as a Chemist and spending his early career in R&D helping to develop radiopharmaceuticals and new antibiotics. He ultimately served as the company’s Global Commercial Director, working to create and implement strategy for access to medicines for the ‘next billion’ people through creating affordable solutions for pharmaceuticals in some of the less developed parts of the world.
He is a member of the Council of the University of Birmingham.
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HM Trade Commissioner for South Asia
The HM Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for South Asia oversees all Department for Business and Trade (DBT) work in Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka:
- growing bilateral trade and investment relationships
- improving market access for British companies, including small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs)
- developing finance and trade policy
The HMTC also works closely with High Commissioners, Ambassadors, the wider diplomatic network and colleagues across the UK to support the prosperity agenda.
British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India
The Deputy High Commissioner leads a subordinate office to the High Commission in another major city and fulfills a similar role to a Consul General, representing the UK government and typically responsible for consular, visa and trade activities in their city or region.
The Deputy High Commissioner for Western India represents all aspects of the UK Government’s interests in the states of Goa, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.