“Trade, Tech, and Trust: How Starmer’s India Trip Redefined UK-India Relations”, India Narrative, October 11, 2025

“UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent visit to India marks a turning point in the trajectory of India-UK relations, reinforcing the strategic and economic partnership between the two countries. This is Starmer’s first official visit to India as the UK’s Prime Minister and follows closely on the heels of the historic India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) signed in July 2025. The high-level engagement over two packed days in Mumbai has seen the two nations not only reaffirm earlier commitments but also chart new pathways for cooperation across business, technology, defence, and people-to-people ties.

Starmer arrived in Mumbai on October 8, leading one of the UK’s largest-ever business delegations to India. The entourage included the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Minister for Investment, and a group of 125 CEOs, entrepreneurs, vice-chancellors, and cultural leaders. This robust representation underscores the significance the new UK government assigns to Indo-British relations, projecting confidence in India’s economic ascent and the UK’s desire to anchor itself as a preferential partner.

Trade and Economic Cooperation

The centrepiece of the visit is the implementation and expansion of CETA, the India–UK free trade agreement signed in July. CETA is expected to substantially lower tariffs and increase market access for a broad range of goods and services, including textiles, whisky, automobiles, and spices, making trade between the two countries quicker, cheaper, and more beneficial for businesses and consumers in both nations. Both nations have set an ambitious goal of doubling bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030, with trade already witnessing a £6 billion uptick since July’s agreement…….”

Read full article at indianarrative.com