Indian politicians have visited Basildon to discuss possible trade and investment opportunities.

A delegation from the Kerala state government came to Basildon on a fact-finding mission and to discuss partnership work.

Kerala has a population of more than 33 million people and boasts one of the lowest levels of unemployment in India.

Basildon Council hosted the delegation at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Council leader Phil Turner said: “Clearly Basildon and Kerala are very different regions but there are some surprising similarities in some of the challenges and opportunities we face.

"One of the main reasons the delegates were here was so they could learn from Basildon's best practice but it was very much a two-way flow of information.

“We were extremely interested to learn about their aspirations for growth and how they counter their challenges."

The expanding Indian economy is now the UK’s second biggest export market, after China.

Basildon Council is keen to develop opportunities for local businesses to trade internationally.

Chief executive Bala Mahendran said: “Our efforts to build a relationship with India are first and foremost about creating opportunities for Basildon.

"This delegation represents another such opportunity and we have been exploring avenues for sharing best practice expertise that will benefit the wider community here."