Modi, Starmer discuss trade, defence ties as UK PM visits India with top business leaders

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer held wide-ranging discussions on Thursday aimed at strengthening India-UK cooperation in trade, defence, security, and critical technologies.

Starmer arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday morning for a two-day visit, accompanied by a 125-member delegation comprising leading British business figures, entrepreneurs, and educationists.

The visit comes two and a half months after India and the UK signed a landmark free trade agreement expected to double bilateral trade by 2030. The deal, finalised during Modi’s visit to London in July, promises to expand market access and reduce tariffs between the two nations.

Speaking on Wednesday, Starmer described the trade pact as a “launchpad” for two-way growth, highlighting India’s projected rise as the world’s third-largest economy by 2028.

“We signed a major trade deal with India in July — the best secured by any country — but the story doesn’t stop there,” he said. “It’s not just a piece of paper, it’s a launchpad for growth. With India set to be the third biggest economy in the world by 2028, and trade with them about to become quicker and cheaper, the opportunities waiting to be seized are unparalleled.”

During the talks, India is also understood to have raised concerns over the activities of certain pro-Khalistan groups operating from the UK and reiterated its demand for the extradition of fugitive businessmen, including Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi.