The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, is likely to be in India later this year. The visit is still under discussion-- the dates are yet to be announced,
but a visit by Starmer, prime minister since the summer of 2024, could well happen in late October, sources said. Starmer is also expected to be in Mumbai for a fintech meeting. The two prime ministers have met several times in the last year. They met in London last July when India and Britain signed the free trade agreement. The FTA, of course, has been a very important moment for both countries: the economies of Britain and India could benefit substantially in the coming years. During his visit to London, Prime Minister Modi had also called on King Charles III after the trade deal was signed. Before that, they had met during the G7 summit in Canada in June and during the G20 meeting in Brazil in November last year. With the trade deal out of the way, a Starmer visit was on the cards and the British Foreign Office and India's Ministry of External Affairs have been talking for a while. That this deal has been signed when India is still negotiating similar deals with the European Union and the United States of America is a plus. For Indians, it will mean cheaper cars and whiskey and also, visas to study or work in Britain with less trouble. Like the United States, Britain also has a more substantial Indo-Pacific policy and even at this point, a British aircraft-carrier, The Prince of Wales, is here. The British are also happy with the help from India when one of its F-35 fighter aircraft was in some trouble. Closer defence ties apart, both sides will be looking to work together in areas like education and science and technology. Six British universities have already been cleared to open campuses in India and this could be just the beginning.
