Rama Krishna Sangem
The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer will make his first official visit to India on October 8-9, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During his visit, the two leaders will review progress in the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This is announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on October 4.
During the two-day visit, the two leaders are expected to review progress under the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through the ‘Vision 2035’ roadmap, a 10-year plan covering trade and investment, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate and energy, health, education, and people-to-people ties.
On October 9 in Mumbai, Modi and Starmer will engage with business and industry leaders to explore opportunities presented by the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The discussions will also cover issues of regional and global importance. Both leaders will attend the 6th edition of the Global Fintech Fest, delivering keynote addresses and interacting with innovators, policymakers, and industry experts.
Starmer’s visit follows Modi’s trip to the UK in July 2025, where he met Prime Minister Starmer at Chequers, the British PM’s countryside residence, to firm up the Vision 2035 strategy. During that visit, both nations signed a defence industrial roadmap to promote co-development and co-production of key defence products.
Modi also met King Charles III at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, presenting a tree sapling under his “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” environmental initiative. “We discussed different aspects of India-UK relations, including trade, investment, education, health, wellness, environmental protection, and sustainability,” Modi said on X.
India UK signed trade deal July
On July 24, 2025, India and the UK signed the landmark CETA, providing duty-free access for nearly 99% of Indian exports to the UK and removing tariffs on 90% of UK goods. The agreement aims to double bilateral trade, currently around USD 56 billion, by 2030.
CETA opens new opportunities in sectors such as textiles, marine products, leather, footwear, sports goods, toys, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, auto components, and organic chemicals. The services sector also benefits, with improved market access for IT, financial, legal, educational, and professional services. Indian professionals, including chefs, yoga instructors, architects, and musicians will gain simplified visa procedures and liberalised entry categorie