India ties expected to stay the course with Andy Burnham as new UK PM
Burnham, 56, was elected unopposed on Friday and will take over from Keir Starmer at Downing Street on Monday after the formal choreography of the handover of power is completed
Strategic experts forecast that the strength of the India-UK partnership will stay the course under incoming British prime minister Andy Burnham, who clinched the Labour Party leadership in the same week as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) entered into force.
Burnham, 56, was elected unopposed on Friday and will take over from Keir Starmer at Downing Street on Monday after the formal choreography of the handover of power is completed.
While much is expected to change, given the former mayor of Greater Manchester's pledge to do things differently, the one major constant in terms of foreign policy is expected on the India front.
"Over this past year, we have valued close engagement with the Greater Manchester authorities, particularly Andy Burnham, whose energy and warm support has done much to strengthen India-North-England ties," Vishakha Yaduvanshi, the Consul General of India in Manchester, told PTI.
As the first head of India's new diplomatic mission in the UK, Yaduvanshi views the Consulate's opening in March last year as a "landmark moment" that spotlights the tremendous potential of the north of England, "its industries, academia and sporting ethos", within the India-UK relationship.
"His [Burnham's] 2019 visit to India, meeting with the former Indian high commissioner [Vikram Doraiswami] in December 2025, and his virtual participation in the India-North England Opportunity Summit [March 2026] reflect a longstanding commitment to this partnership," she said.
Burnham has spoken of "fond memories" from the visit that took in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi seven years ago, coordinated by the Manchester India Partnership (MIP), an organisation set up for businesses and universities to engage with India.
"India is a key market in Greater Manchester's internationalisation strategy as it presents significant opportunities to the city-region, but these opportunities are mutual, and Greater Manchester is also helping India with its own economic growth plans," he said at the time.
He highlighted "digital technology, engineering, advanced manufacturing, health care and academia" as well as "opportunities for tourism, sport and cultural collaboration" as some of the sectors of focus.
