THE boss of a Shipley-based telecommunications technology firm is in India this week looking at ways of expanding its operations there on the back of the 4G revolution.

His trip coincides with the company he founded gaining royal recognition today for its export record with a Queen’s Award for International Trade.

Radio Design Ltd, launched by managing director Eric Hawthorn in 2007 to provide technology enabling rival mobile network operators to share transmission masts, has doubled its overseas sales over the last three years - with its wholly owned subsidiaries in Finland, India and China driving business in those regions.

In 2011 Radio Design achieved a Queen’s Award for Innovation for its pioneering technology.

Mr Hawthorn, a Leeds city region export ambassador, said: “Gaining a second Queen’s Award is just brilliant and a real boost for the whole team. We have realised from winning an award in 2001 that this accolade brings very real benefits to a company. The Queen’s Awards are highly respected and recognised around the world and I’m sure that having this recognition will help us grow exports further.”

Radio Design, based in Wharf Street, has grown into a £21 million turnover business with more than 300 employees. It currently exports around 65 per cent of its products.

Mr Hawthorn said growing overseas sales had helped the company through a difficult six months in the UK where recent mergers between mobile networks had slowed down demand for Radio Design’s technology.

“The mergers between Three and EE and Vodaphone and O2 has led to a tough few months in the UK but we look forward to gaining more new business once these deals have been consolidated,” said Mr Hawthorn.

Meanwhile Radio Design has plans to open up new export markets in Africa and the Middle East. Eric said: “We see these two major regions as having big potential to develop our export record further as they increasingly adopt 4G technology. I’m also visiting India this week where we have operated successfully for several years to look at taking that business forward. It is a major economy with huge potential and I’m confident that we can be in a strong position to maximise opportunities in this growing market.”

Local Queen’s Award winners also include Mirfield-based textiles manufacturer Camira Group Ltd, which scooped a Sustainable Development award for its environmentally sustainable products, including materials made from nettle crops, hemp and flax which are grown without pesticides or herbicides.

Its EU eco-labelled products, including wool, wool and bast-fibre blends, recycled polyester and polypropylene, are manufactured with a strong focus on environmental transparency, both within the group and across its supply chain.