British PM Keir Starmer's visit to India to focus on trade, investment, tech ties

London, Oct 7 (PTI) Keir Starmer will begin his first official visit to India as British prime minister on Wednesday, with talks between both countries set to cover the entire gamut of the bilateral partnership, including trade and investment and technology ties.

The two-day visit, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will see both leaders take stock of the progress made across all aspects of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in line with “Vision 2035” -- a 10-year roadmap agreed alongside the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in July to build on the key pillars of the partnership.

The focus of the Modi-Starmer bilateral talks will be on the opportunities presented by the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), as the FTA is known, which is set to remove tariffs on over 90 per cent of goods once it is ratified by the UK Parliament.

“The UK prime minister’s visit to India comes at a pivotal moment in the evolution of our bilateral relationship, defined increasingly by partnership, shared prosperity, and mutual respect,” said Richard Heald, who is part of the prime ministerial delegation.

“The UK-India corridor stands as one of the most promising economic relationships globally, and we look forward to supporting its continued growth - grounded in innovation, opportunity, and mutual ambition,” said Heald, Chair of the UK India Business Council (UKIBC), who is also set to address a session on Indian entry strategies for UK small and medium enterprises.

The British PM will be accompanied by a delegation made up of over 100 business leaders, university vice-chancellors and cultural chiefs, reflecting a mission to boost trade and investment, technology and education ties.

Lord Karan Bilimoria, Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) UK, said he is “absolutely delighted” at such a substantial PM delegation after a gap of nearly nine years because it conveys an unequivocal message that “Britain means business when it comes to India”.

“The timing is excellent because it is literally within three months of signing the FTA at Chequers at the end of July that both prime ministers will be meeting face to face in each other's countries again, which is almost unprecedented,” said Bilimoria.

The visit coinciding with both navies undertaking their joint Exercise Konkan in the Arabian Sea is symbolic of the opportunity for the delivery of significant defence technological and industrial partnerships between Indian and UK companies, including on naval electric propulsion, said Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, Senior Fellow for South Asia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London.

He believes Starmer's first official visit to India takes place at a strategically significant moment for both countries.

"For India, stung by the eye-watering tariffs imposed by the Trump administration amidst concerns over the next Trump tweet, and with little appetite for a pivot towards Russia or China, it encourages diversification of its foreign and security partnerships towards the UK and the EU," said Roy-Chaudhury.

“For the UK, the visit signifies a long-term commitment towards India as an emerging super economy while hosting a nearly 2 million British Indian diaspora community. Significantly, Starmer's visit to India takes place before a visit to China," he said.

The much-anticipated visit will see both Starmer and Modi deliver keynote addresses at the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, spotlighting the India-UK Technology Security Initiative (TSI) clinched last year with an aim to enhance bilateral collaboration in critical and emerging technologies such as telecoms, AI, quantum computing, biotechnology and critical minerals.

Jyoti Vij, Director General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said Starmer's visit comes at a defining moment when the promise of CETA could be translated to tangible business outcomes.

"We expect this engagement to unlock new opportunities in advanced manufacturing, green finance, digital innovation, and mobility of skilled professionals — creating a future-ready partnership that supports growth, sustainability, and shared prosperity across both economies,” she said.

British Airways CEO Sean Doyle, also part of the British PM's delegation, wrote in ‘The Sunday Times’ over the weekend about plans to expand its services to India as a “critical enabler of UK-India trade”.

“Today, we operate 56 flights a week to and from five key Indian cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai, and we have ambition to expand our flying network in the country,” he said.

According to the latest UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) statistics, total trade in goods and services between India and the UK is now estimated at around 44.1 billion pounds.

The trade deal signed during Modi’s UK visit on July 24 is expected to significantly boost these figures, with a target to at least double bilateral trade by 2030. PTI AK SKY SKY SKY