India and Britain have a bloody history. For nearly 200 years from the Battle of Plassey on 23 June 1757, the British Empire ruled the Indian subcontinent as a colony – exploiting its people and natural resources for economic gain.
But since Indian independence in 1947 the relationship between the two countries has changed dramatically. India has become the world’s fastest growing economy and recently overtook Britain as the fifth largest in the world. India has a highly skilled workforce with a diaspora working in senior positions of the world’s largest tech companies such as Google and Microsoft. And India has become a powerful geopolitical actor – spending $76.6 billion on its military, the third highest in the world after China and The United States.
So in a post-colonial world what relationship should exist between India and Britain? What common values and goals do the two countries share? And what legacy does the British Empire still have in shaping any potential friendship? Join Shashi Tharoor and Jo Johnson on Wednesday October 5 to discuss and debate the future relationship between the two countries for the second event in our new series ‘India at 75.’