NEW DELHI: Trade, investment, technology cooperation and joint efforts to tackle trafficking and extremism were in focus during external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s meetings with the top UK leadership, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in London.
Jaishankar, who is on a nearly week-long visit to Britain and Ireland, held talks on Tuesday with his UK counterpart David Lammy on taking forward the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, including ways to bolster mutual economic growth, technological innovation, and collaboration on global challenges such as climate change.
Among Jaishankar’s engagements in the UK will be the formal opening of two new Indian consulates in Manchester and Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. India and Ireland are expected to announce the formation of a joint economic commission when Jaishankar travels to Dublin for the first visit by a senior Indian leader since 2015.
Jaishankar and Lammy met at the historic Chevening House in Kent on Tuesday, and a readout from the British side said their talks centred round advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership.
“This focused on fostering mutual economic growth, technological innovation, and collaboration on global challenges including climate change. They also discussed Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the Middle East and other global affairs,” the readout said. There was no official word from the Indian side on the meeting.
Lammy said one of his first visits as foreign secretary was to India because deepening the UK’s partnership with India is a key part of the Labour government’s “Plan for Change”. He added he and Jaishankar are “supercharging our £41 billion trading relationship with India, after trade talks were relaunched in Delhi”.
He was referring to the resumption of talks last month on an India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) after a gap of almost a year. Britain’s trade minister Jonathan Reynolds travelled to New Delhi for talks with his counterpart Piyush Goyal and the resumption of the negotiations.
Lammy also said the opening of the new Indian consulates in Belfast and Manchester reflect the “growing links between our peoples” and the expansion of India’s diplomatic presence will boost the trading relationship and support the Indian community in the UK.
Lammy and Jaishankar are also set to discuss the India-UK Technology Security Initiative (TSI), which was launched last July. “They will touch on the opportunities for citizens in both countries that will come from closer collaboration in sectors such as artificial intelligence, telecoms and critical minerals,” the readout said.
The TSI is spearheaded by the national security advisors of India and the UK to expand collaboration in critical and emerging technologies.
Before the meeting with Lammy, Jaishankar called on Prime Minister Starmer at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday and discussed taking forward bilateral and economic cooperation and enhancing people-to-people exchanges. Starmer shared the UK’s perspective on the Ukraine conflict, Jaishankar said in a post on X.
Jaishankar also met home secretary Yvette Cooper and discussed the “flow of talent, people-to-people exchanges, and joint efforts in tackling trafficking and extremism”, he said on X. At a separate meeting with trade minister Reynolds, Jaishankar discussed the progress in the FTA talks.
Reynolds’ visit to India coincided with Indian investments worth more than £100 million in the UK. These investments cover sectors such AI, professional services and textiles and are expected to create hundreds of jobs over the next three years.
The year-on-year inward FDI stock from India increased 28% at the end of 2023, and India has remained the second largest investor in the UK in terms of the number of projects for five consecutive years. UK insurance firms are eyeing an expansion in India following the recent budget that increased the amount of FDI in the insurance sector from 74% to 100%.
The UK highlighted the “living bridge” between the two countries by hosting a reception with Indian scholars at Chevening House that celebrated India’s position as home to the world’s largest Chevening scholarship programme.
“Great to meet Chevening Scholars from India along with FS @DavidLammy…A vivid expression of our talent and people-to-people exchanges, they surely are great advocates of India-UK ties,” Jaishankar said on X.
Chevening is the UK government’s flagship international scholarship and fellowship programme, and it offers fully funded scholarships for a one-year postgraduate course in the UK and short-term fellowships to mid-career professionals. The Chevening programme in India is the largest in the world, benefiting more than 3,900 scholars and fellows since 1983.