• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a two-day visit to the United Kingdom on July 23 & 24.

• This was PM Modi’s fourth visit to the UK.

• PM Modi met his UK counterpart Sir Keir Starmer and held a one-on-one meeting as well as delegation level talks at Chequers in Buckinghamshire.

• Chequers is the countryside residence of the British PM.

• The two PMs welcomed the signing of the historic India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) which will raise the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a new level, while significantly enhancing bilateral trade, investment, economic collaborations and job creation in both economies.

• The two sides have also agreed to negotiate a Double Contribution Convention, which will come into effect along with the CETA and will facilitate professionals and service industry in both countries by promoting competitiveness and reducing the cost of doing business for commercial entities. 

• The two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship and adopted the ‘India-UK Vision 2035’.

• This ambitious and future-focused agreement underscores the two nations’ resolve to work together for mutual growth, prosperity and to shape a prosperous, secure, and sustainable world in a time of rapid global change.

• The Vision 2035 document will infuse greater ambition and renewed momentum in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by steering the relationship for the next 10 years in key areas of economy and growth, technology, innovation, research and education, defence and security, climate action, health and people-to-people ties.

• They 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. 

• The two PMs also welcomed the growing partnership between India and the UK in the education sector, with six UK universities working to open campuses in India under the New Education Policy (NEP). Southampton University, which opened its campus in Gurugram on June 16, is the first foreign university to open its campus in India under the NEP.

• In line with their resolve to boost security cooperation, an agreement was signed between the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the UK’s National Crime Agency.

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