UK PM Keir Starmer said India is on track to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2028. Standing alongside PM Narendra Modi in Mumbai, he lauded India’s rapid growth and called the 2024 India-UK Free Trade Agreement a landmark deal.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday praised India’s strong economic growth, saying the country is well on its way to becoming the world’s third-largest economy by 2028. Speaking in Mumbai with Prime Minister Narendra Modi by his side, Starmer said India’s growth story is one of the most remarkable in the world. He announced that more British universities will open campuses in India to meet rising demand for quality higher education, aiming to make Britain India’s top global education partner by 2035.
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His remarks came shortly after former US President Donald Trump’s claim that India’s economy was “dead,” which Starmer appeared to indirectly counter. “India has already become the world’s fourth-largest economy, surpassing Japan, and continues to rise with impressive speed,” he said.
PM Modi and Starmer reaffirm strong bilateral ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Mumbai during Starmer’s first official visit to India. The leaders exchanged greetings and discussed ways to further deepen the India-UK strategic and economic partnership.
The visit marks another step in the growing friendship between the two nations following PM Modi’s visit to the UK in July 2024, when the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was signed. The pact, valued at £25.5 billion annually, aims to increase trade, investment, and job creation in both countries.
Starmer leads UK’s largest-ever trade mission to India
During his visit, Starmer led the largest trade mission the UK has ever sent to India, including top business leaders and investors. He described the FTA as “hugely important,” calling it the biggest trade deal since Britain left the European Union and also the largest agreement India has ever signed.
Starmer said the growing India-UK economic partnership represents ‘a powerful bond between two vibrant democracies’ and a key driver of global economic progress.
Cultural and creative cooperation highlighted
In a cultural gesture, Starmer lit diyas in Mumbai ahead of the Diwali festival, celebrating the strong friendship between India and the United Kingdom. The symbolic act, he said, reflected the warmth and shared traditions linking the two nations.
He also announced that three major Yash Raj Films (YRF) productions will be filmed across the UK starting in 2026, a move that is expected to strengthen creative collaboration and tourism between the two countries.
Starmer meets sports fans, praises football’s impact
Starmer also met football enthusiasts in Mumbai, where he praised the Premier League’s training programme for helping develop India’s sporting talent. He said football has become a “bridge that brings people and communities together.”
The UK Prime Minister’s visit comes just months after PM Modi’s trip to the UK, during which both sides confirmed £6 billion in new investments and export deals, further boosting bilateral ties.
A new phase in India-UK relations
Starmer’s visit has underlined the strength of India-UK relations, covering economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties. With the FTA now in place and stronger cooperation in film, sports, and business, both countries are looking ahead to a deeper, long-term partnership built on shared values and mutual growth.
(With ANI inputs)