UK-INDIA TRADE PACT TAKES FLIGHT

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's maiden India visit marks a new chapter in post-Brexit trade ties, anchored by a landmark £25-billion partnership deal.

- TDG NETWORK

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday hailed the India-UK partnership as a defining relationship for the future, calling it “the biggest trade mission the United Kingdom has ever sent to India.”

His visit, accompanied by a 125-member delegation of CEOs, university leaders, and cultural figures, marks the start of a new era in economic, strategic, and cultural cooperation between the two nations following the signing of the landmark India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in July this year.

Speaking at an interaction with business leaders at Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Starmer described the FTA as “the biggest deal the UK has struck since leaving the European Union — and the biggest deal India has ever signed,” terming it “hugely important” in reshaping Britain’s global trade future post-Brexit. The agreement, signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to London earlier this year, is expected to boost bilateral trade by £25.5 billion annually, eliminate or slash tariffs across key sectors including whisky, textiles, and automobiles, and create thousands of jobs in both countries.