New Delhi [India], July 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on his fourth official visit to the United Kingdom later this week, amid renewed momentum in India-UK bilateral relations, highlighted by the recent finalisation of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi will hold comprehensive talks with his UK counterpart Sir Keir Starmer, covering the full scope of bilateral ties and pressing regional and global issues.
The India-UK relationship, steeped in historical connections, has evolved into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2021. The two nations maintain five ministerial-level institutional mechanisms spanning strategic cooperation, economy, finance, energy, science, and technology. Recently held dialogues include Foreign Office Consultations, the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Dialogue, and the Defence Consultation Group.
Over the past year, PM Modi and PM Starmer have met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil (November 2024) and the G7 Summit (June 2025), in addition to holding multiple phone conversations.
The India-UK FTA, officially concluded on May 6, 2025, has been hailed as a landmark milestone. UK PM Starmer called it the UK’s most significant post-Brexit trade deal and India’s most ambitious to date, while UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy described it as the start of “supercharging” the GBP 43 billion trading relationship.
In 2024, India-UK bilateral trade crossed USD 55 billion, recording a 10% increase over 2023. Key sectors driving the partnership include business, research, innovation, technology, education, and defence cooperation.
In June, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and UK Permanent Under-Secretary Oliver Robbins co-chaired the 17th UK-India Foreign Office Consultations and the inaugural Strategic Exports and Technology Cooperation Dialogue, aimed at deepening bilateral collaboration.
The Indian diaspora in the UK, comprising 2.7% of the total British population, continues to serve as a “living bridge”, fostering cultural and economic ties between the two countries.
During this high-level visit, the two sides will review progress on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with specific focus on trade and economy, defence and security, health, climate action, innovation, education, and people-to-people ties.