India growing force on world stage: UK PM Starmer updates Parliament on Mumbai visit

London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday updated the House of Commons on his two-day visit to Mumbai last week with the country’s biggest trade delegation to India, scoring deals worth around 1.3 billion pounds.

Addressing Parliament as it resumed from recess this week, Starmer said both countries were united by the future following a “historic” trade deal struck in July to open up new opportunities for businesses and boost job creation.

The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s UK visit two months ago, is expected to significantly enhance the bilateral trade partnership from the current 44 billion pounds a year.

“India is a growing force on the world stage, on track to have the third largest economy by 2028,” said Starmer.

“So, in addition to the bond we already shared, the living bridge of family and history, we are also united by the future and the incredible opportunities that we see before us. That’s why, back in July, we signed a historic trade deal, opening up new opportunities for British businesses in India. And that’s why, last week, I led the biggest British trade delegation to India ever,” he said.

Updating British MPs on his talks with Modi during his first official visit to India as UK prime minister, Starmer highlighted that more British universities are set to open campuses in India, making the UK a leading international education provider in the country. “We’re deepening the UK-India Technology Security Initiative to boost opportunities for our brilliant tech sector. And we announced new deals and investment, including in advanced manufacturing, defence, car production and Bollywood filmmaking here in the United Kingdom. “These investments into the UK are worth 1.3 billion pounds, and they will create 10,600 jobs. This is real change that people will see in their communities, up and down the country,” he said.

A joint statement issued following the Modi-Starmer Mumbai dialogue last week noted that both leaders looked forward to the UK parliamentary ratification of the India-UK CETA “as early as possible” and also welcomed the re-setting of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), which will support the governance and utilisation of the CETA and drive forward the wider trade and investment partnership.

Starmer, who led a mission of 127 business chiefs, entrepreneurs, and university vice-chancellors to Mumbai on October 8 and 9, has pledged to open more doors for British businesses in India with the “ambitious” Free Trade Agreement set to lower tariffs and make trade “quicker, cheaper and easier”.