From trade in Trump era to Khalistani threat: India's agenda as UK PM visits on Oct 8-9

Keir Starmer will travel to India during October 8-9 for his first official visit to the country against the backdrop of widespread churn on the global stage.

Updated on: Oct 4, 2025, 20:22:11 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit India next week to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review bilateral relations and drive business and economic relations, the external affairs ministry said on Saturday.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Reuters)

Starmer will travel to India during October 8-9 for his first official visit to the country against the backdrop of widespread churn on the global stage due to the policies of the US administration.

The two PMs will meet in Mumbai on October 9 to assess the progress in different aspects of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership in line with “Vision 2035”, a focused and time-bound 10-year roadmap of programmes and initiatives.

This roadmap includes key pillars such as trade and investment, defence and security, technology and innovation, climate and energy, health, education and people-to-people relations.

Modi and Starmer will also engage with businesses and industry leaders on opportunities presented by the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) as a “central pillar of the future India-UK economic partnership”, the external affairs ministry said.

They will also discuss regional and global issues.

Modi and Starmer will attend the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai and deliver keynote addresses. They will also engage with industry experts, policymakers and innovators.

Starmer's visit will build on the momentum generated by Modi's trip to the UK in July, when the two sides finalised the free trade agreement, which is expected to come into effect next year. The FTA is expected to boost two-way commerce by $35 billion in the long run, cut tariffs on goods ranging from textiles to whisky and enhance market access.

The visit will also “provide a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the shared vision of India and the United Kingdom to build a forward-looking partnership”, the ministry said.

Modi and Starmer will meet amid unprecedented geopolitical and geo-economic turbulence caused by the Trump administration's trade and tariff policies. In May, the UK agreed on the general terms of a non-binding trade deal with the US that seeks to lessen the impact of American tariffs, while India and the US recently resumed talks on a bilateral trade agreement.

India’s campaign against terrorism, the activities of pro-Khalistan elements in the UK and the return of economic offenders and fugitives wanted by New Delhi are also expected to figure in discussions during the upcoming visit, people familiar with the matter said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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