PM Narendra Modi meets UK PM Keir Starmer in Mumbai

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 9 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the United Kingdom's Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday in the country's financial capital as the UK PM is in India on his first official visit. The leaders shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

On Wednesday, Starmer held a series of wide-ranging interactions in Mumbai. He met with business leaders and described the India-UK trade partnership as "really important".

Speaking at an interaction with industry representatives, he said, "This is the biggest trade mission that the United Kingdom has ever sent to India."

He noted that his visit marks the "return leg" after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to the UK earlier this year.

Calling the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed in July this year between the two countries "really important", Starmer said, "It's the biggest deal we've struck since we left the European Union. I think it's also the biggest deal that India has ever struck, so it's hugely important."

The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed in July 2024 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UK, is a landmark deal that aims to boost bilateral trade between the two nations by £25.5 billion annually.

During the visit, PM Keir announced that three major productions from India's leading film studio, films Yash Raj Films (YRF), will be shot across locations in the United Kingdom starting in 2026, as per the British High Commission.

He also lit diyas in Mumbai on Wednesday, symbolising the deep cultural ties between India and the United Kingdom as the Diwali festival approaches.

Starmer also met with football fans in Mumbai and expressed his delight at the way football brings communities together, outlining the impact of the Premier League's training programme on the development of the sport in India.

The visit of the UK PM comes after Prime Minister Modi's trip to the UK in July, where the trade deal was signed and nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins were confirmed, an official statement noted. (ANI)

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