Prime Minister Narendra Modi met United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Mumbai on Thursday during Starmer’s first official visit to India. The two leaders exchanged greetings and discussed avenues to strengthen the growing India-UK partnership, continuing the momentum established earlier in the year when Modi visited London.

The meeting reaffirmed the strategic importance of the bilateral relationship between India and the UK, with both leaders highlighting the success of the recently concluded Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

The UK-India FTA, signed in July 2024 during Modi’s visit to the UK, is projected to boost annual trade between the two countries by £25.5 billion. It is regarded as the largest trade deal for both nations since the UK’s exit from the European Union.

During his address to industry leaders in Mumbai on Wednesday, Prime Minister Starmer called the UK-India trade partnership "really important" and emphasised that this was the biggest trade mission the UK had ever sent to India. He described his visit as the "return leg" following Prime Minister Modi’s earlier trip to Britain, underscoring the depth of ongoing engagement between the two governments.

Beyond trade, the discussions and announcements during Starmer’s visit focused on economic collaboration, cultural exchange, and creative industry partnerships. The British High Commission announced that Yash Raj Films (YRF), one of India’s largest film studios, will shoot three major film projects in the United Kingdom beginning in 2026 — a move expected to enhance the UK’s creative economy and deepen cultural ties between the two nations.

In a symbolic gesture ahead of Diwali, Prime Minister Starmer lit Diyas in Mumbai, reflecting the shared cultural respect and growing people-to-people connections between India and the UK.

His engagement also extended to football fans, where he discussed the sport’s unifying power and praised the Premier League’s training programs that are helping to develop grassroots football across India.

The British Prime Minister’s trip follows Narendra Modi’s July 2024 visit to the UK, during which nearly £6 billion in new investments and export deals were confirmed. Starmer’s Mumbai visit builds on those commitments, setting the stage for a strengthened partnership encompassing trade, cultural collaboration, and shared economic growth between India and the United Kingdom.

Based On ANI Report