Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, on Thursday to review the progress of the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in line with Vision 2035.
Starmer arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday for a two-day visit to India at the invitation of PM Modi. This marks his first official visit to the country.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two Prime Ministers will, on October 9 in Mumbai, take stock of progress in various areas of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership aligned with Vision 2035 — a focused, time-bound 10-year roadmap encompassing key pillars such as trade and investment, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate and energy, health, education, and people-to-people relations.
“Both leaders will engage with business and industry leaders on opportunities presented by the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which serves as a central pillar of the future India–UK economic partnership. They will also exchange views on issues of regional and global importance,” the MEA statement said.
Prime Minister Modi and Starmer will also attend the sixth edition of the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai and deliver keynote addresses. The leaders will engage with industry experts, policymakers, and innovators on the sidelines of the event.
“The visit will build on the momentum and substance generated by Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UK on July 23–24, 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 added.
PM Modi and Starmer previously met at the UK Prime Minister’s country residence, Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, where they held one-on-one and delegation-level talks.
During that meeting, both leaders welcomed the signing of the historic India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which elevated the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a new level while significantly boosting bilateral trade, investment, economic collaboration, and job creation in both economies.
The two sides had also agreed to negotiate a Double Contribution Convention, which came into effect alongside CETA. The agreement facilitates professionals and the service industry in both countries by enhancing competitiveness and reducing the cost of doing business for enterprises.
Acknowledging the growing collaboration in capital markets and financial services, Prime Minister Modi had underlined in July that both nations could work towards promoting greater interaction between Gujarat’s GIFT City — India’s first international financial services centre — and the UK’s dynamic financial ecosystem.
The leaders also welcomed the finalisation of a Defence Industrial Roadmap aimed at fostering collaboration in the co-design, co-development, and co-production of defence products to meet the growing demand in both countries and global markets.
Welcoming regular engagement between the armed forces of both nations, they expressed satisfaction with the strengthening defence and security partnership.
IANS