UK agreement shows world's trust on India: PM Modi in Tamil Nadu

Landing in India after concluding his two-day trip to Maldives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom, saying it showed the world's trust on India. He laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple development projects worth over Rs 4,800 crore in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi.

Infrastructure and energy form the backbone of any state's development. Over the past eleven years, the sustained focus on these sectors reflects the priority accorded to Tamil Nadu's progress”, emphasised the Prime Minister.

He remarked that the projects inaugurated today will transform Thoothukudi and Tamil Nadu into hubs of enhanced connectivity, clean energy, and new opportunities.

“India is advancing the vision of a developed Tamil Nadu and a developed India through its ongoing efforts,” stated Modi, remarking that the FTA signed between India and the UK further accelerates this vision. “The world now sees its own growth reflected in India’s progress,” said Modi stating that the FTA would accelerate the country’s journey toward becoming the world’s third-largest economy.

He stated that following the FTA, 99 percent of Indian products sold in the UK would be tax-free. Modi highlighted that with Indian goods becoming more affordable in the UK, demand will increase, leading to greater manufacturing opportunities in India.

He also emphasized that the India–UK FTA will greatly benefit Tamil Nadu’s youth, small industries, MSMEs, and startups. The Prime Minister that this agreement will support sectors such as industry, the fishing community, and research and innovation, ensuring broad-based gains.

Highlighting that the government is placing strong emphasis on Make in India and Mission Manufacturing, the Prime Minister stressed that during Operation Sindoor, the strength of Make in India was clearly demonstrated. He remarked that domestically manufactured weapons played a significant role in neutralizing terrorist strongholds.

Modi remarked that weapons made in India continue to unsettle the masterminds of terrorism.