India, UK agree to £350-mn missile deal, wider coop in critical minerals

India and the UK on Thursday announced a £350-million deal for the supply of new lightweight multirole missile (LMM) air-defence missile systems and also agreed on wider cooperation in critical minerals and opening of campuses of British universities in India.

The measures to expand cooperation in defence and other fields were announced following wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer in Mumbai. It was the first meeting between the two leaders after the signing of the free trade agreement (FTA) in July. Starmer, who visited Yash Raj Films studio in Mumbai yesterday, also announced a deal for production of three Bollywood movies in the UK.

A joint statement issued after the Modi-Starmer talks, however, was silent on the recent changes to the UK's visa rules that have impacted Indian applicants due to fresh benchmarks on salary and minimum qualification. The two sides already have in place the ‘Migration and Mobility Partnership’ (MMP) to curb illegal immigration.

The big takeaway of the meeting was the agreement to have a government-to-government deal for the LMM systems. Manufactured by Thales and called Martlet, these missiles would be for the Indian Army’s tactical units. The missiles can be fired by an infantry soldier, integrated with an armoured vehicle, and also with helicopters and naval ships. They can hit targets at a distance of 6 km and travel at a speed of 1.5 Mach.

Modi and Starmer also announced an “intent” to finalise an inter-government agreement on developing maritime electric propulsion systems for Indian naval platforms. “We are moving towards defence co-production and connecting the industries of both countries,” said Modi.

The two sides also announced the signing of an agreement on cooperation in military training. Under this, Indian Air Force flying instructors will serve as trainers in the UK's Royal Air Force.

The joint statement pointed out that there was immense potential in technology partnership between India and the UK. “We are focusing on combining the UK's industrial expertise and R&D with India's talent and scale,” said Modi.

On critical minerals, which are used in all electronic items and also in military equipment, Modi said, “We have decided to establish an industry, guild and a supply chain observatory for collaboration on critical minerals. Its satellite campus will be located at IIT-ISM, Dhanbad.”

Starmer, for his part, referred to the existing India-UK technology security initiative. “The UK and India stand side by side as global leaders in technology and innovation… We look to expand cooperation on advanced technologies and in defence,” he said.

The two leaders welcomed the formation of the ‘India-UK Offshore Wind Task Force’ and the ‘Climate Technology Startup Fund’, which will support innovators and entrepreneurs from both countries working in climate technology and AI.

Starmer is accompanied by the largest and most influential delegation from the education sector. Referring to this, Modi said, “Nine UK universities are opening campuses in India. The Gurugram campus of Southampton University was recently inaugurated while the construction of three other UK universities' campuses is underway.

On Indo-Pacific security, Modi said the growing partnership between India and the UK remained a key pillar of global stability and economic progress. “We are fully committed to enhancing maritime and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region,” Modi said. Starmer echoed Modi, saying, “The need for stability and security in the Indo Pacific is critical.”

On the FTA, Modi said it would reduce import costs for both countries. “It will create new employment opportunities for youth, boost trade and benefit industries and consumers,” he said.