UK - India Relations

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met  with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, H.E. Sir Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

They exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including on international and regional issues of significance with a focus on economy, trade, new and emerging technologies, research and innovation, green finance and people-to-people contacts.

Prime Minister Modi announced the establishment of two new Consulates General of India in the United Kingdom in Belfast and Manchester. 

The thirteenth round of negotiations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took place from the 18th September to 15th December, 2023.

The round included sessions both in person, in London and Delhi, and virtual talks. These negotiations focussed on complex issues including goods, services, and investment.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time at the G20 Summit in Indonesia where the leaders agreed on the enduring importance of Indo-UK relationships.

The twelfth round of negotiations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took place from the 8th August, 2023-31st August, 2023. 

On 24th August,2023-25th August, 2023 India hosted the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting in Jaipur. Shri Piyush Goyal met with Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. They took stock of the FTA and agreed ways to progress the negotiations.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly met EAM Jaishankar on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’s meeting to discuss the G20 agenda; Clevery marked the opening of the Young Professional Scheme at IIT Delhi and will also announce the creation of the UK’s first Tech Envoy to the Indo-Pacific. 

India and UK have launched the Young Professional Scheme which allows professionals from both countries to live and work in the other country for a period of upto 2 years.

India and the UK have exchanged an MoU on Global Innovation Partnership in Apr 2022 wherein both countries will cofinance $100 Mn over the next 14 years to support the transfer of climate-sustainable inclusive technologies from India to third countries in Asia, Africa and the Indo-Pacific in an effort to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Rt Hon’ble Boris Johnson visited India for the first time as PM in Apr 2022 during which he along with PM Modi agreed on a join statement ‘towards shared security and prosperity through national resilience’ and reviewed progress on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership towards India-UK Roadmap 2030 set in May 2021. 

The UK and India exchanged an MoU on Cooperation on Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership between Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India and Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, UK in Apr 2022.

India and the UK have exchanged an MoU on the Migration and Mobility Partnership in May 2021 to enable easy legal movement of students and professionals between the two countries and to hinder illegal migration and organized immigration crime.

Launched in September 2019 at the UK techXchange, the UK-India Startup Launchpad enables startups, investors, incubators, and entrepreneurs of both countries to network for global expansion.

The 15TH JETCO was held on 13th January 2022, where the British and Indian PMs committed to a new and transformational Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and launched the Enhanced Trade Partnership as part of the 2030 Roadmap as well as the negotiations on the India-UK Free Trade Agreement. 

Around 79% of the UK companies in India are subsidiaries, while 21% work with local partners through JVs. Also, nearly 49% of the UK companies export from India, of which 56% are from the manufacturing sector and 44% are from the services sector.

During the PM Virtual Summit between PM Modi and PM Johnson in May 2021, new UK-India trade and investment expected worth $1.39 Bn was announced to create 6500 UK jobs, $ 644 Mn of Indian investment into UK, and $539 Mn of export deals for UK businesses exporting to India

To improve connections between the world's electricity power grids, UK and India launched the Green Grids Initiative - OWOSOG in November 2021 at COP 26 backed by 80 other countries.

Cultural ties between the UK and India go back to 1600s when The East India Company was formed to undertake trade between Tudor England and Mughal India. The two countries have continued to share strong cultural ties ever since.

Launched in June 2022 by the British Council, the UK-India Together, A Season of Culture celebrates the vibrant cultural bonds between the UK and India through film, music and art. 

In 2017, HRH Queen Elizabeth II launched the UK-India Year of Culture to recognize and promote the strong cultural ties beween the UK and India.

Scotland has a rich historical connection with Kolkata in particular, as well as a long-standing relationship with Indian artists, chiefly through festivals such as the Rajasthan International Folk Festival, the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe and Celtic Connections.