Six Indian Entrepreneurs Who Chose to Scale their Business in London and Why

London and India have long-standing business and trade links, with shared strengths in technology, innovation and entrepreneurialism. There are lots of opportunities for trade and investment between the two regions and London remains one of the leading global destinations for Indian businesses and scale-ups considering international expansion.

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London is a city of innovation and creativity, providing Indian businesses with access to a world-class talent pool, deep pools of capital, policy makers and a globally connected tech ecosystem. London is also not only a great place to do business – it’s a great city to live and worth with a range of exciting cultural attractions, restaurants, theatres and parks.

Here are six successful Indian entrepreneurs who have led the expansion of thriving tech businesses from India to London and why: 

Saranjit Sangar 

Saranjit Sangar is the CEO of upGrad EMEA, India’s largest online higher education firm. upGrad aims to support companies both in London and India to adapt, innovate and upskill their workforce and attract diverse talent.

Why London?

upGrad is focused on reducing the UK skills gap and has chosen London as its first International HQs to expand its global presence. London offered a diverse mix of talent, opportunities and access to esteemed educational institutions, making it their top choice for their first international office.

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Anant Agrawal

Anant Agrawal is Managing Director at Skillmine Technology Consulting, a Bangalore headquartered tech company offering new generation IT consulting and managed services which expanded to London in 2019.

Why London?

London was the right choice for Skillmine with its like-minded tech entrepreneurs alongside access to a thriving tech talent pool and a wide customer base.

Vivek Singal

Vivek Singal is an ambitious entrepreneur who is passionate about creating large successful ventures and recognizes go-to-market techniques while spearheading the business development for Valuefy, his Mumbai-based company. Valuefy is a global pioneer in innovative investment technology that produces wealth management products that promote smarter data-driven decisions at every stage of the investment lifecycle.

Why London?

Valuefy set up base in London this year to benefit from London’s status as a global financial centre. London is home to more than 3,000 fintech companies – more than any other city in the world. The UK capital is also home to more than 250 foreign banks.

Akshay Chaturvedi

Founder and CEO of Leverage Edu, an Edutech Company specializing in helping universities recruit ‘right-fit DNA’ students, opened their first global office in London, this year.

Why London?

London over the years has established itself as a top hub for talent across multiple domains. For a customer first, tech driven company like Leverage Edu, it was only natural to establish their biggest international office in London. The quality and diversity of talent available in London was unmatched. 

Kirthi Vishnu Ramasamy

Ramasamy is the Founder and Managing Director of Q-Rich Creations, a company focused on multiple expertise from sustainable manufacturing, horticulture, patented non UV LED lighting and exporting apparel and home textiles.

Why London?

Ramasamy received his MBA degree from the University of Bedfordshire in England and wanted to give back to the community by setting up his company in London. In India, the company is already a trailblazer in the ethical and sustainable style space. Building a London HQ will help the firm expand its global reach and mission.

Raja Gayam 

Gayam has a Master of Science from University College London (UCL) and was among Entrepreneur India magazine’s select group of ’25 Biggest Techpreneurs in 2018’. He designs, produces and sells three and four-wheeled electric vehicles through his Hyderabad and LA based company, Biliti Inc.

Why London?

Biliti Inc wanted to enter the United Kingdom and European markets where he could access the early adopters of green transport. By introducing electric three-wheeler in the city, they tapped into the sustainability agenda of the UK government.