Starmer leads a 125-member delegation to India in a bid to boost trade International Trade News

The UK leader wants the trade mission, Britain’s largest ever to India, to build on the recent agreement between the two countries.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has arrived in India with a large delegation of top British CEOs, business people and university vice-chancellors on a visit that his government says is aimed at “stimulating” trade between the two countries.

The two-day trade mission to India, which began in Mumbai on Wednesday, aims to boost trade and business opportunities between India and the UK – the world’s fifth and sixth largest economies, respectively – as both countries seek to realign their trade ties in the wake of tough tariffs imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

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In August, it slapped the United States Tariffs are 50 percent on goods from India in response to New Delhi’s trade with Russia, specifically its huge consumption of Russian oil, while the United Kingdom, which received Business deal Tariffs were also imposed with Washington in May, although at a much lower rate.

Announcing the visit, Starmer said the aim of the mission was to build on what had happened recently Historic trade deal.

“We signed a major trade deal with India in July – the best deal any country has ever had – but the story doesn’t stop there,” he said in a statement.

“It is not just a piece of paper, it is a launching pad for growth. With India set to become the world’s third largest economy by 2028, and trade with it set to become faster and cheaper, the opportunities waiting to be seized are unparalleled.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to meet Starmer on Thursday before the leaders address a fintech conference in Mumbai, welcomed his British counterpart in a statement, adding that he hoped to advance their “shared vision of a stronger and mutually prosperous future.”

The French news agency reported that the volume of trade between the two countries amounts to 54.8 billion dollars and supports more than 600,000 jobs in the two countries.

Opportunities are ‘already opening’

Under the new deal, India will reduce customs duties on British goods such as whisky, cosmetics and medical devices while the UK will reduce customs duties on clothing, footwear and food products, including frozen shrimp, from India.

The UK government said in a statement that under current projections, the new trade deal would increase UK GDP by 4.8 billion pounds ($6.4 billion) each year and increase UK exports to India by about 60 percent.

Starmer told the delegation that opportunities were “really opening up”, trade was rising sharply as a result of the agreement, and its members must build on the momentum.

After a visit to the Yash Raj Film Studio on Wednesday, Starmer announced that three Bollywood films would be produced in the UK from next year.

“Bollywood has returned to Britain, providing jobs, investment and opportunity, all while showcasing the UK as a world-class destination for global filmmaking,” he said.

Starmer also visited a new Premier League community program where he met aspiring Indian footballers and coaches, highlighting the popularity of the British Football League among Indian fans.

The British trade delegation includes British Airways CEO Sean Doyle, BP CEO Murray Auchincloss, Wouter van Werch, Airbus Executive Vice President International, as well as vice-chancellors of 14 British universities.