Manchester Airport managing director Chris Woodroofe has been appointed co-chair of the Manchester India Partnership (MIP), as Greater Manchester seeks to expand trade, investment and collaboration with India in support of the July 2025 UK-India Free Trade Agreement, which provides a framework for closer commercial ties between the two countries.
image: Invest Manchester (Jo Ahmed, Bev Craig, Chris Woodroofe)
Woodroofe will work alongside existing co-chair Jo Ahmed MBE to develop links between the two economies through business, education, culture, tourism and innovation. The partnership was established in 2018 as a public-private initiative to strengthen ties.
The appointment was announced following a week-long trade mission to India led by Greater Manchester mayor Bev Craig. The delegation visited New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, bringing together representatives from regional businesses, universities, cultural and sporting organisations.
The mission also involved other northern English city regions under the Great North banner, with support from the Department for Business, Innovation and Science and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Invest Manchester said the mission had secured investment commitments totalling £26m and associated with more than 600 jobs in Greater Manchester.
Manchester Airport was a founding member of the partnership. In 2025, it introduced direct services to Mumbai and Delhi with Indian airline IndiGo, although both routes are currently paused because of disruption associated with tensions in the Middle East.
According to Invest Manchester, the services generated £48.5m in inbound tourism revenue and £25m in wider economic benefits during just over 12 months of operation. Passenger numbers travelling to Mumbai and Delhi increased by 50% and 25% respectively while the routes were operating.
Woodroofe said Manchester Airport's network of more than 200 destinations provided access to around 75% of global gross domestic product. He said the partnership had an opportunity to build on relationships developed since 2018, supported by the UK-India trade agreement.
Ahmed said the partnership had established collaborations across trade, investment, education, culture and innovation, bringing benefits to communities and organisations in both regions. She said the airport's international connections would be important in developing the relationship further.
Craig said the trade mission had strengthened Greater Manchester's relationship with India while securing investment and jobs. She added that Woodroofe's leadership of the airport would bring a perspective on the importance of international connectivity to the partnership.
India is one of Greater Manchester's significant trading partners, with bilateral trade valued at more than £800m, according to Invest Manchester. The region is seeking to attract further Indian investment and develop opportunities for its own businesses to expand into the Indian market.
The appointment comes as the UK-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025 and now in force, provides a framework for closer commercial ties between the two countries.