Starmer, Modi Meet in Mumbai to Deepen Trade, Business Ties

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer began their bilateral meeting in Mumbai on Thursday

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer began their bilateral meeting in Mumbai on Thursday, as the UK leader pushes for swift implementation of the free trade agreement the two nations signed earlier this year.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is greeted by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on his arrival at Raj Bhavan.(via REUTERS)

Modi welcomed Starmer at Mumbai’s Raj Bhavan — the official residence of the Governor of Maharashtra — on Thursday, where the two leaders shook hands and posed for photographs. They are expected to issue a joint statement after their meeting and deliver keynote speeches at the Global Fintech Fest later in the day.

Both leaders are seeking to deepen commercial ties as they face growing risks from US tariffs. Starmer traveled to India on Tuesday with 125 UK business and cultural leaders to tout the free trade pact signed in July. It’s the first such trip by a British prime minister since Theresa May visited in the immediate aftermath of her country’s vote to leave the European Union nine years ago.

Starmer has spent the trip so far meeting with business leaders. According to his office, deals announced as a result of his trip to India will create almost 7,000 new jobs, with 64 Indian companies investing $1.7 billion in the UK.

Top British firms are expected to announce new investments in the South Asian nation. Graphcore, the British chip designer owned by SoftBank Group Corp., is planning to announce a $1.3 billion investment package in India that includes a new research hub, Bloomberg News has reported.

India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met his UK counterpart Business Secretary Peter Kyle on Wednesday, and reaffirmed commitment to swiftly implement the trade agreement, according to a statement from New Delhi.

On Wednesday, Starmer also met with Infosys Ltd. co-founder Nandan Nilekani — widely credited with implementing India’s Unique ID system in 2009 — to seek advice on introducing a similar program in the UK.

Still, tensions over migration are expected to linger. On the flight to Mumbai, Starmer said he would resist demands from business to allow more highly skilled workers from India to come to the UK.

Speaking at a football pitch near Mumbai’s Oval Maidan cricket ground on Wednesday, Starmer said none of the business leaders had raised the issue of visas. “That wasn’t part of the FTA,” he said.

“What this is about is providing opportunities for them to take advantage of the FTA, and even before it’s fully enforced, the mood is very, very strong between India and the UK, and I’m really pleased,” he said.

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