Man City join India trade trip as mayor defends invite

Manchester City travelled to India to help sell Britain abroad. The invitation has prompted questions back home.

Labour's Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig invited a club representative on the government-backed trip in the week of 14 October 2026, according to The Guardian. The delegation visited Delhi and Mumbai.

The visit ran from 12 to 16 October. Greater Manchester described it as its first mayoral mission to India since 2019, and Craig led the group.

It was part of a wider northern push. Seven mayors were due to take part in the October trade mission. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds organised the effort and joined northern leaders for part of it.

City took part in an event in Delhi promoting British tourism. Lancashire Cricket Club and Visit Lake District were there too. The event was organised by The Great North, a coalition of mayors from the north of England.

Craig defended including City. She pointed to the club's role in building infrastructure in Manchester.

The club's presence has drawn attention because it faces Premier League charges. City states it is innocent and has appealed against them.

The football is only one part of a bigger business story. The UK government described the trip as a billion-pound trade mission and said it would unlock hundreds of new jobs in the UK, according to Gov.uk. Northern leaders pitched the India visit as a chance to seize a £450m-a-year trade opportunity.

Reynolds struck an upbeat note on 13 October. He said links were being created and opportunities were huge.

What makes this stand out is how familiar it feels. Clubs tour the world every summer. Fans fill stadiums in new cities. Here the shirt was doing different work, alongside cricket and tourism chiefs, in meeting rooms rather than stadiums.