It is tragic that there is so much opposition from corrupt lobbies to FDI in the legal, education and retail sectors. It does not help that the BJP and the commies have joined forces. Let us hope that there will be a happy ending. Perhaps when the the commies lose in bengal and kerala things could get moving.

A senior government official once told me that the owner of one of India's top firms met a well-known senior CPI-M leader and lobbied against foreign law firms during the rule of the first UPA govt. This why liberalisation could not happen even thoughh HR Bharadwaj went on record saying that he favoured the entry of foreign law firms. In the present UPA veerappa moily seems to be anti-reform but there are many people who are pro-reform. Pranab mukherjee's track record has been quite good. Montek singh Ahluwahlia and Kaushik Basu are also known to favour reforms.

'selling 57 Hawk Jet trainers to India in a £1m deal'??

[Correction, it appears there was a typo in the original Economic Times story that cited the value of that deal as £1m, when another figure cited up to £500m -Ed]

"The main thrust of the visit will focus on selling 57 Hawk Jet trainers to India"

No doubt the SILF members condemning the "British lobby" in the liberalisation debate will be the first to beg ministers and officials to appoint them as legal advisers in this big defence deal.

Wonder why SILF is agitated about the Government's move to shift the madras litigation to the Supreme Court? Is it because SILF thinks Madras High Court is the most appropriarte forum for delaying the move? Wonder who is AK Balaji and whether the rela litigant is SILF?

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Govt-interest-in-foreign-law-firms-upsets-lawyers/Article1-577249.aspx

@5: Exactly! Why on earth would someone be angry if the govt shifts PIL of national interest to the highest court of the land which will take less time to adjudicate?

SILF please tell us what exactly your problem is.

I can almost see it. Mr. Popham will land at the Rashtrapati Bhavan where the cabinet ministers along with Mrs. Patil will be awaiting the arrival of the British contingent. Upon disembarking from the Ambassador, Mr. Popham will see a bespectacled and elderly person, with a creased forehead coming forward. He will introduce himself as Veerappa Moily. Mr. Moily will move to his side as he introduces him to a well built person shuffling a few papers who exchanges a nervous glance with Mr. Popham. He will walk towards Mr. Popham, extend his arm and say "You have been served. With the writ petition by the Madras High Court"

At this very point, the place will be inundated with laughter from the sycophants from both contingents. And it will be at this point that Mr. [...] will wet himself laughing, much to the delight of the CEO of Pampers.

I wouldnt be surprised if certain people ensure that the delegation be met with protests of "Popham Go Back" or "Quit Advicing India".

Since Mr Bhasin and SILF say that they represent the interests of Indian lawyers LI should invite them for an internet chat with readers. We shall then see who speaks for whom.

SILF must change its president and/or spokesperson. They do a great disservice to themselves by continuing with like this.

SILF only does service for itself and its members, for everyone else their existence and activities are a dis-service.

I am shocked at the outrageous remarks made against SILF. The Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation is a charity that has been doing incredible work and has never opposed foreign law firms. Please visit our website at http://silf.in before making unwarranted remarks.

I would like to warn the owner of this website that we will contemplate legal action if defamatory remarks against our organisation are not censored.

It's quite amusing to see so much hot air expended over the entry of foreign law firms. Some of the guys leading the cheering brigade appear to be really mediocre and will find it really tough to join some of these firms. But then better to live on hope...and day-dream of the heavenly paychecks.

India's economy on track to grow 8.5% this year. Great. More demand for legal services. Lot more work for Indian firms.

But Mr Popham, alas, you are not invited for the feast.

The last time we let you in, on the pretext of trade and markets, the East India Company ruled and ravaged us for 300 years. Never again.

"The main thrust of the visit will focus on selling 57 Hawk Jet trainers to India in a £1m deal, said the Economic Times."

That's it. 57 aircraft for a nominal price. So this is the bribe the UK govt is willing to pay so that we let their law firms enter our market.

This is a bloody disgrace. Shame on Cameron and Co.

Opposition should bring a motion in Parliament - this is how the sovereignty and economic interests of India are being bartered away for a song.

@13: The present lot of desi oligarchs who control India are a billion times worse than the East India company

@14: You really are a dolt!! They are not selling the aircrafts for 1 mn. That's a bloody typo. The real price is 1 billion.

And FYI although LI and Kian are anti-liberalisation many articles in the Indian press have supported liberalisation. see today's express
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Why-foreign-legal-firms-should-set-up-shop-in-India/652002/

further to my previous post I woudl like to point out that many law firms have supported the entry fo foreign law firms (see the express article quoting Som Mandal). I also know of younger NLU grads running law firms who want liberalisation. Unfortunately these views are not publicised on LI and only the Lalit Bhasins get coverage.

@8: In fact I would be surprised if Popham WASN'T greeted with protests by political hoodlums. The ISI pays the stone-throwers in kashmir Rs 100 a day. I'm sure the anti-liberalisation lobby can double the amount and ask them to protest against foreign law firms.

While I understand some people opposing entry of foreign law firms because it may go against their oligopolistic interest, I cant understand some people raising the bogey og colonisation and East India Company. Bulk of Indian economy is already open for foreign acquisition and so are the economies of most other sensible countries trying to grow or maintain their economies. You people are too late if you wanted to save the country from being 'sold'. You should have joined CPI(M) or Swadeshi Jagran manch ten years back.

Also all of our so called home grown billionaires have used foreign technology to grow their business, be it telecom or generic pharma. So why should the legal industry not be able to use the extensive knowledge and skills developed over 100 years in UK and grow their own businesses? Do you really think foreign lawyers can live in India and practice (or do they really want to?). I am sorry to say that but having worked in India and overseas law firms, there is a huge difference in the way this sector is organised. I dont mean to look down or anything like that but as an Indian lawyer, it would be the happiest day in my professional life when I would feel that Indian law firms are equal in merit to the best in the world. Believe me I feel immensly proud when Bharti is considered an equal to Vodafone or Sprint today.

Lastly a word to those gloating on the growth figures of 8.5% etc. These things really do not have a connection to real world of law firms. Simply compare the total GDP of UK and see what 1.5% means in comparison to 8.5% of India's GDP. Also then divide these numbers by the population and then add risks of doing business (naxalism, terrorist strikes, corruption etc) and then see which economy is really the stronger and safer bet for global businesses. Of course India is on the right track but sadly far away from the day when it becomes a developed economy with health and education and safe lifestyles and a responsive government for all. Please dont confuse an expanding middle class market as a sure sign of having trumped all other developed economies.

#18 is spot on. All you fools comparing foreign law firms with the east India company pls stop using foreign software, foreign computers and foreign cars. Please turn down Microsoft, Adidas, Cadburys etc if they come to you as clients.

@ 18: Hush. Here we are trying to keep the debate as banal, mediocre, lowest common denominator and entertaining as possible and there you go making sense. Conversation killer, you...

The shrill cry of the imperialist lap-dogs, mesmerized by dreams of megabucks, should not drown out the sane voices pleading to for the policy maker to tread cautiously.

Remember what happened to the prominent accountancy firms like SB Billimoria, AF Ferguson, Bharat S Raut etc? Swallowed by the Big 4. Also, remember Arthur Andersen was an illustrious fifth member of this coterie – till it was caught perverting the course of justice. And who cooked Raju’s books? You guessed it: PwC turned a convenient blind eye to the shenanigans going on at Satyam.

And the amount of fees these big four extort for their dubious services (many a time instructed by a helpless govt. departments) have to be seen to be believed.

Pray, let not this misfortune fall on our home-grown law firms – many of whom are desperately paying big bucks to attract and retain talented lawyers. And are rapidly modernising too.

With the economic pie growing ever rapidly, and the number of new, modern law schools being set-up, graduating bright, ambitious lawyers, it’s only a question of time before the family oligarchs are ousted.

LI there is some talk that the UK's plan of university collaborations is not restricted to only science courses. The only University of London college represented on Cameron's delegation is Imperial, which is basically a science college. However, although LSE, KCL and UCL are absent they have apparently expressed interest in possible tie-ups with NLSIU/NUJS/NALSAR. Please look into this. The person who gave me this info is a reliable UK-based source. However, my "informant" says that this new bit of news is still at an inception stage. Science courses remain the #1 priority. I also doubt whether tie-ups will be allowed to happen by the VCs of the Indian law schools. Some of them are tyrants. Almost every NLU student complains about his VC.

The latest gem from lalit Bhasin:

"Legal profession is too sacrosanct to be polluted by deep pockets of foreign governments or foreign lawyers. Unlike our foreign counterparts we are not into the business of law."
http://www.indlawnews.com/newsdisplay.aspx?9336c946-1fbd-401a-8831-97f9a5e75792


Mr Bhasin since SILF members do not see law as a business let them give advice for free?

"We want you to reduce the barriers to foreign investment in banking, insurance, defence, manufacturing and legal services - and reap the benefits," Mr Cameron said in a speech at Infosys Technologies, India's No 2 software-services provider. "More investment in each other's economies will be a vital boost to both our countries."

Kian I am extremely disappointed with LI's non-reporting of David Cameron's visit. Members of the delegation have made statements to the press regarding when barriers in retail, law firms etc are expected to be removed. There is a lot of buzz about balaji's case going to the SC.

It is also sad to see that you have not reported on the all-important issue of foreign universities.

Kian ... outstanding reporting ... I understand that as somebody who himself is a product of a foreignn law firm and spent only the last few years in India, you go out of your way to present a balanced perspective, lest you be accused of favouring British firms, because of your past associations. HAts off to you ... If these fools call you anti liberalisation, it only marks the success of how as a reporter you have quelled your personal views to publish the debate from both sides.
You reporting [...] bhasin's statements is like hindu reporting narendra modi's rants !!!

[Thank you - glad that you appreciate what we are trying to do... @25 - literally 5 minutes after you posted your comment we posted up a story on what the delegation did on the legal side, which turned out to be not very much, as expected. -Kian]