No Visa Relaxation, But Big Trade Wins: What’s On UK PM Keir Starmer’s First India Visit Agenda

In his first official visit to India, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet with Indian officials to strengthen cooperation across trade, technology, and strategic sectors, under the framework of the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the shared Vision 2035 roadmap.

What’s on the agenda?

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Starmer will attend the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, where they will deliver keynote addresses and engage with industry leaders.

On October 9 in Mumbai, the two leaders are expected to review the progress of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership under the ‘Vision 2035’ framework. They will also hold discussions with businesses and policymakers on opportunities arising from the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), focusing on fintech and technology-driven partnerships.

Beyond economic cooperation, discussions are also likely to touch upon artificial intelligence, data security, immigration policies, and geopolitical global challenges, including the situations in Ukraine and Gaza.

CETA

In July, India and the United Kingdom signed a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which opened a duty-free access for about 99% of India’s exports, covering almost the entire trade basket, including labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, marine products, gems and jewellery, toys, and high-growth goods like chemicals and engineering.

The trade pact will make UK cars and whisky cheaper in India and reduce costs for Indian textiles and jewellery in Britain.

On the services side, CETA grants deeper market access across IT/ITeS, financial services, education, healthcare, telecom, and professional services. The agreement also introduced the Double Contribution Convention, which spares Indian professionals and their employers from paying UK National Insurance during assignments up to 36 months, potentially saving over ₹4,000 crore.

No Visa Relaxation

Starmer has ruled out any relaxation of visa rules for Indian workers or students, emphasizing that the new India-UK trade deal is focused on business and investment rather than immigration.

The visit comes at a critical time as India seeks to strengthen its relationship with the UK and the European Union, following the souring of its trade partnership with the United States. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, the highest in the world.

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