NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, will embark on a two-day official visit to India beginning October 8, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Saturday.
This marks Starmer’s first official visit to India since assuming office and is expected to open a new chapter in the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, guided by the ‘Vision 2035’ roadmap.
According to the MEA, both leaders will meet in Mumbai on October 9 to review progress across key pillars—trade and investment, defense and security, climate and energy, technology, education, and health, while also emphasizing people-to-people connections.
“Both leaders will engage with businesses and industry leaders on opportunities presented by the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), regarded as a cornerstone of the future economic partnership,” the MEA said. They will also exchange views on pressing regional and global issues of shared importance.
As part of the agenda, Modi and Starmer will jointly attend the sixth edition of the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, where both are expected to deliver keynote addresses. The event will also include interactions with industry experts, innovators, and policymakers, highlighting the growing collaboration in financial technology and digital innovation between the two nations.
The MEA underlined that the visit builds on the momentum from Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UK in July 2025, reaffirming the shared commitment to a forward-looking partnership.
Earlier this year, Modi and Starmer met at the UK Prime Minister’s country residence at Chequers, where they welcomed the landmark CETA agreement and the Double Contribution Convention, aimed at facilitating the movement of professionals and boosting bilateral trade and investment.
The leaders had also finalized the Defense Industrial Roadmap, focused on co-designing, co-developing, and co-producing defense products, enhancing cooperation to meet both domestic and global market demands.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized expanding collaboration between India’s GIFT City and the UK’s financial hubs, reinforcing the commitment to deepen capital market and fintech linkages.
With Starmer’s visit, India and the UK appear poised to elevate their strategic partnership, combining economic cooperation with stronger defense, technology, and innovation ties—ushering in a new era of collaboration under Vision 2035.
