'INDIA'S RISE UNSTOPPABLE,' SAYS BRITISH PM STARMER

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's maiden India visit on Thursday marked a bold post-Brexit pivot, sealing a landmark trade pact and deepening strategic ties with New Delhi.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA/ AGENCIES

In a defining moment for post-Brexit diplomacy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday hailed India's economic rise and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Viksit Bharat 2047" vision, calling the newly signed UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) a "breakthrough moment" in a future-facing partnership between the two democracies.

Starmer's two-day maiden visit to India (8-9 October), his first since taking office, has been seen as signalling London's independent foreign policy realignment amid turbulence in India-US ties. BritainWashington's closest allyappears to be pursuing a more autonomous course, acknowledging India's growing global centrality.

Diplomats described the visit as "a success in both substance and symbolism," with the UK premier leading a 125-member trade mission, the largest ever from Britain, encompassing business, academia, and culture.