Mumbai/New Delhi: PM Modi on Thursday urged visiting UK PM Keir Starmer to act firmly, “within the ambit of law”, against Khalistani extremist elements operating from British soil, even as both leaders showcased an expansive new phase in India–UK cooperation spanning defence, education, technology and trade. Starmer, on a two-day visit to Mumbai with a 126-member business and education delegation, signalled London’s support for India’s permanent seat on the UN Security Council and pitched the UK as a long-term partner in New Delhi’s ‘Vikasit Bharat’ vision.
Briefing reporters after the talks at Raj Bhavan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India reiterated its “serious concerns” over pro-Khalistan activity abroad. “The Prime Minister emphasised that radicalism and violent extremism have no place in democratic societies and should not be allowed to misuse the freedoms these societies provide,” he said. Both sides agreed to act “strictly within legal frameworks”. Misri noted that Modi had raised the matter with Starmer earlier in July, underlining India’s expectation of visible results.
Alongside this, the leaders reviewed the implementation of the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), signed in July.
Both said the pact would lower tariffs, expand markets and drive investment. Starmer called for an end to the “sign and shelve” approach to trade diplomacy, insisting governments must “stay on the pitch” to help businesses realise the deal’s potential. Modi called CETA a “breakthrough” that would create jobs, reduce import costs and energise industry, calling the large British delegation “a symbol of renewed momentum”.
Starmer publicly backed India’s permanent membership of the UNSC, saying London “wants to see India taking its rightful place” on the world stage. The two leaders also condemned terrorism “in all its manifestations”, including the Pahalgam attack, and called for “zero tolerance and sustained global cooperation”. Modi thanked Starmer for the UK’s swift condemnation, stressing that there must be “no double standards in fighting terrorism”.
Defence cooperation deepened through new agreements integrating Indian Air Force flying instructors into the UK’s Royal Air Force training framework and confirming an initial government to-government supply of Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems to boost India’s air defences. The two sides agreed to finalise an intergovernmental pact on maritime electric propulsion systems for Indian naval platforms. As they met, naval ships from both nations participated in the ‘Konkan 2025’ exercise off Mumbai, underscoring their shared Indo-Pacific security focus.
Education was another highlight. Nine UK universities are setting up campuses in India. The University of Southampton’s Gurugram campus is already operational, while Lancaster University’s Bengaluru campus and the University of Surrey’s GIFT City campus have received clearances. Institutions including York, Aberdeen, Bristol, Liverpool, Queen’s University Belfast and Coventry will launch next year. The two governments agreed to hold an annual ministerial education dialogue and implement a new cultural cooperation programme signed in May 2025, aimed at linking academia, research and industry.
Technology and innovation featured prominently in the joint “List of Outcomes”. To translate these frameworks into action, both sides reset the India–UK CEO Forum and the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) to monitor CETA implementation, job creation and market access. A joint investment in a Climate Technology Startup Fund—under an MoU between the UK government and the State Bank of India—will support entrepreneurs in climate technology and AI.
Modi called the India–UK partnership a fusion of India’s “talent and scale” with Britain’s “research and industrial expertise”. “Our partnership is trustworthy, and driven by talent and technology,” he said, urging co-design and co-production in emerging domains such as semiconductors, telecom, AI, biotech, quantum, cyber and space.
For Starmer, the visit was about “followthrough”. Calling Mumbai “the city of enterprise and endless possibilities”, he said the UK was “doubling down” on its strategic and economic partnership with India. He cited defence manufacturing, fintech collaboration between GIFT City and London, and educational ties as examples of a relationship “delivering for businesses and working people”. He also endorsed India’s growing leadership in the Commonwealth, G20 and an expanded UNSC.
Their statements on UNSC reform, Indo-Pacific security, Gaza and Ukraine rounded off a message of alignment and follow-through—themes likely to define this “hands-on” India–UK partnership in the years ahead.
