Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday described India and the UK as natural partners, emphasizing that shared values such as democracy, freedom, and the rule of law form the foundation of their relationship. He added that the India-UK partnership is key to global stability and economic progress amid global instability.
“India and UK are natural partners. Mutual trust in values like democracy, freedom and rule of law lies in the foundation of our relations. In the current era of global instability, this growing partnership between India and UK has been an important base for global stability and economic progress,” he said.
PM Modi noted that Prime Minister Starmer’s leadership has driven significant progress in India-UK relations.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Starmer, there has been remarkable progress in the relations between India and the UK. During my UK visit in July, we reached an agreement on the historic Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. Your visit to India just a few months after the Agreement and the largest business delegation to accompany you so far is a symbol of the new energy and broader vision that has come into the India-UK partnership,” PM Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi said that nine UK universities are set to establish campuses in India, with Southampton University’s Gurugram campus recently inaugurated and its first batch of students already admitted.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer lauded the creation of a modern, forward-looking partnership between the two nations, centered on shared opportunities and mutual growth.
Recalling the UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) signed in July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed it as a breakthrough moment, noting that it provides both countries with an opportunity to collaborate even more closely.
UK PM Keir Starmer said, “We are building something here, we are creating a new modern partnership focused on the future and availing the opportunities and we are doing it together. That is why we struck the UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in July, a breakthrough moment – years in the making, slashing tariffs, increasing access to each other’s markets to drive growth and create jobs for our people and making life in both our nations. Beyond the words of the page of the Agreement, is the spirit of the confidence that it has given to our two great countries to work even more closely together, something which we have seen during the course of this visit here.”
Prime Minister Starmer announced that three major productions from India’s Yash Raj Films (YRF) will begin filming at various locations in the UK starting in 2026.
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