Economic, security cooperation to top agenda for UK PM Starmer’s India visit

NEw new delhi: Measures to change economical and certificate cooperation with bharat are set to top the agenda for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s two-day visit beginning on Wednesday, during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and participate in several business-related meetings.Starmer is set to arrive in Mumbai on October 8 for his first official visit to the country against the backdrop of unprecedented geopolitical churn on the international stage because of the policies of the Donald Trump administration in the US.The first day of the visit will be largely devoted to UK-centric engagements, and Modi and Starmer are set to hold a bilateral meeting and participate in the Global Fintech Fest on October 9, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.Besides meeting representatives of British businesses with operations in India, Starmer will visit the studios of Yash Raj Films in Andheri on Wednesday as part of efforts to drive greater collaboration between the film industries of the two countries, the people said.Starmer is also expected to participate in a football showcase event organised by the English Premier League at Cooperage Football Ground that will be attended by former England international Michael Owen, the people said. This event is part of a week-long series of activities organised by the Premier League, which set up an office in Mumbai earlier this year.The more substantive engagements will be held on Thursday, when Modi and Starmer are set to deliver keynote addresses at the Global Fintech Fest. They will also engage with industry leaders on opportunities presented by the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the bilateral free trade agreement that was signed in July and is expected to enter into force next year.The two PMs will also hold bilateral talks to assess the progress in different aspects of the comprehensive strategic partnership in line with “Vision 2035”, a focused and time-bound 10-year roadmap of programmes and initiatives. The people said new measures to bolster investments and to ramp up defence and security cooperation, including training and exercises, are expected to figure in the bilateral meeting.The Vision 2035 roadmap includes the key pillars such as trade and investment with focus on generating growth and jobs in both countries, defence and security cooperation, technology and innovation, climate and energy, and education and skills partnership.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, the people said.CETA 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. Bilateral trade in goods and services was worth around $56 billion in 2024.