Keir Starmer To Meet PM Modi With Largest-Ever UK Trade Delegation - What's On Agenda?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, who is on his first official visit to India. Starmer arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday for a two-day visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister. The two leaders are expected to discuss the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.According to the MEA, during the visit, on October 9 in Mumbai, the two Prime Ministers will take stock of progress in diverse aspects of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in line with 'Vision 2035', a focused and time bound 10-year Roadmap of programmes and initiatives in key pillars of trade and investment, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate and energy, health, education and people to people relations."Both

leaders will engage with businesses and industry leaders on opportunities presented by the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) as a central pillar of the future India–UK economic partnership. They will also exchange views on issues of regional and global importance," read a statement issued by the MEA.Prime Minister Modi and Starmer will also attend the 6th edition of the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai and deliver keynote addresses. The leaders will engage with industry experts, policymakers and innovators at the sidelines of the event."The visit will build on the momentum and substance generated by the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the UK on 23–24 July 2025. It will provide a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the shared vision of India and the United Kingdom to build a forward-looking partnership," the MEA stated.

What the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement entailed

India and the UK signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) this year, which raised the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a new level, while significantly enhancing bilateral trade, investment, economic collaborations and job creation in both economies.PM Modi had met Starmer at the UK Prime Minister's country residence at Chequers in Buckinghamshire, where the two leaders held a one-on-one meeting as well as delegation-level talks, and welcomed the signing of the historic pact.The two sides had also agreed to negotiate a Double Contribution Convention, which came into effect along with the CETA and facilitated professionals and the service industry in both countries by promoting competitiveness and reducing the cost of doing business for commercial entities.The two leaders had also welcomed the finalisation of a Defence Industrial Roadmap to promote collaboration in co-design, co-development and co-production of defence products to meet the growing demand in both countries, as well as for the world market and expressed satisfaction at the deepening defence and security partnership.Notably, in July, Prime Minister Modi underlined that the two sides could work to promote greater interaction between GIFT City in Gujarat, India's first international financial services centre, and the UK's vibrant financial ecosystem.(With agency inputs)