Modi: India, UK to Elevate Trade Ties

New Delhi: Without explicitly naming the Free Trade Agreement due to be signed on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, en route to London on an official visit, said he will “have the opportunity to further enhance our economic partnership, aimed at fostering prosperity, growth, and job creation in both countries” when he meets UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Modi will meet his British counterpart for talks followed by press statements from 2.30-5.30 pm (IST) on Thursday. He will also call on British monarch King Charles-III at 9 pm (IST). After concluding his UK engagements, Modi will visit the Maldives, where he looks forward to advancing a “Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership” with President Mohamed Muizzu.

Modi is scheduled to land at London’s Stansted Airport shortly after midnight on Thursday (IST). In his departure statement, he noted that India and the UK share a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” spanning trade, investment, technology, defence, education, research, sustainability, health, and people to people ties. He also plans to call on King Charles III during the visit.

The India-UK FTA, announced on May 6 alongside a Double Taxation Convention, is undergoing final “legal scrubbing” and cabinet clearances in Britain, according to foreign secretary Vikram Misri. Once ratified, likely on Thursday, it will eliminate 90 per cent of UK tariffs and secure comprehensive market access for Indian goods, from textiles and marine products to engineering goods, while boosting services such as IT, finance, and education.

In the Maldives, Modi will join 60th anniversary independence celebrations and mark six decades of diplomatic ties. He said he is “confident that the visit will yield tangible outcomes, benefiting our people and advancing our Neighbourhood First Policy.” Improved India-Maldives relations are viewed as a major diplomatic success, reversing earlier strains under a China aligned administration.