Mumbai- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held wide-ranging talks with his British counterpart Keir Starmer, which mainly focused on boosting India-UK ties in the areas of trade, defence, security and critical technology. The British leader arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday morning on a two-day visit along with a delegation of 125 leading UK business leaders, entrepreneurs and academics.
Starmer's visit to India comes after the two countries signed a historic free trade agreement. The agreement will increase market access, reduce taxes and is expected to double bilateral trade by 2030. The trade agreement was sealed during Prime Minister Modi's visit to London in July.
In his remarks on Wednesday, Starmer said the trade agreement is a launchpad for bilateral growth, with India poised to become the third largest global economy by 2028. "We signed a major trade deal with India in July; one of the best secured by any country. But the story doesn't end there.
It's not just a piece of paper, it's a launchpad for development," he said. The Indian side is also expected to raise concerns about the activities of some separatist elements from British soil in the talks, and also demand the extradition of several billionaire fugitives, including Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi, from the UK to India.