UK PM Starmer Leads Major Delegation to India for Strategic Trade and Tech Partnership

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's two-day visit to India underscores a pivotal moment in deepening the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), focusing on enhancing trade, investment, and strategic collaboration. The visit includes discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advance the Vision 2035 roadmap, aiming to boost market access and cooperation across fintech, defense, and sustainable energy sectors. Starmer leads a large delegation of business, academic, and cultural leaders to promote bilateral economic ties, with both leaders set to address the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, highlighting the importance of digital innovation. The trade agreement is expected to remove tariffs on over 90% of goods, facilitating increased exports of textiles, footwear, gems, and seafood from India, while making UK medical devices and aerospace components more accessible to Indian industries. In addition to trade, the visit features infrastructure inaugurations by Modi and strategic dialogue on regional stability and climate initiatives. This visit marks Starmer's first official trip to India, reinforcing the growing partnership between the two nations amid global geopolitical challenges.