- India
- Oct 10
Modi, British PM Starmer hold bilateral talks in Mumbai
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his British counterpart Keir Starmer in Mumbai.
• This was Starmer’s first official visit to India.
• Starmer’s visit follows the visit of PM Modi to the UK in July 2025, during which both sides signed the historic India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and adopted the India-UK Vision 2035 and a Defence Industrial Roadmap.
Highlights of the meeting:
• The leaders welcomed the resetting of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) which will support the governance and utilisation of the CETA and drive forward our wider trade and investment partnership.
• Both sides are discussing the renewal of India-UK Air Services Agreement, along with other aviation related matters. This provides an opportunity for both countries for closer cooperation across the aerospace sector.
• They reaffirmed their shared commitment to harnessing frontier technologies to drive inclusive economic growth, strengthen national security, and shape the future of global innovation.
• Building on the landmark Technology Security Initiative (TSI), both leaders welcomed the tangible progress made across critical and emerging technologies, including telecommunications, critical minerals, AI, and health tech.
• Both sides committed to robust maritime security collaboration in the Indo-Pacific, including establishment of the Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (RMSCE) under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
• Both PMs welcomed the ‘India-UK Climate Finance Initiative’ to enable scaling up of climate finance, unlocking green growth and new financing opportunities for both countries.
• They announced a new joint investment in the Climate Tech Start-up Fund. This strategic initiative, under the MoU between the UK Government and State Bank of India, will enhance support for innovative entrepreneurs working in frontier sectors such as climate technology and AI, driving innovation and fostering growth.
• Both sides expressed happiness on the progress in opening campuses of nine leading UK universities in India.
• The University of Southampton has welcomed its inaugural cohort of Indian students to its campus in Gurugram.
• The University Grants Commission has handed over Letters of Intent (LoI) for establishment of branch campuses of University of Liverpool, University of York, University of Aberdeen and University of Bristol in India.
• Further, Queens University of Belfast and Coventry University have been authorised to open their branch campuses in GIFT City.
• During the visit, Indian authorities also handed over the LoI for opening of campus of Lancaster University in Bengaluru and accorded in-principle approval for opening campus of University of Surrey in GIFT City.