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New Delhi: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is on a two-day visit to India amid the topsy-turvy global order. On Wednesday, the first day of the visit, Starmer said he wanted quick implementation of a trade deal with India, as soon as "humanly possible".
Starmer is accompanied to India by a huge group that has a hundred leaders from the business, culture and university sectors. Notably, in July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the UK and signed a free trade agreement. It sealed a deal to cut tariffs on goods from textiles to whisky and cars, and allow businesses to get more market access.
In May, the talks on the trade pact ended after it had gone on for three years, with both sides hastening efforts to clinch a deal as US President Donald Trump has unleashed exorbitant tariffs on many countries, including India.
The deal between India and the UK aims to increase bilateral trade by a further 25.5 billion pounds by 2040. However, the projections were a floor to the deal's ambition, and the visit with executives from several top companies of Britain aims to maximise its biggest trade deal in the post-Brexit era.
Starmer, after arriving in Mumbai, said, "It provides huge opportunities," and he has asked his team to implement the deal as "quickly as humanly possible." He added, "I think the opportunities are already opening up. Our job is to make it easier for you to seize the opportunities."
He will meet PM Modi on Thursday, with both sides looking to bring the deal into effect within the next year. Starmer is focusing on growth amid his Labour Party's slide in the polls, and the trade deal with India holds great importance both for his country and ours.
