British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in India today for a two-day visit largely devoted to the economy, Agence France-Presse reported, noting that this comes just months after the signing of a free trade agreement, for which the two countries had been negotiating for a long time, BTA reported.
Starmer arrived early in the morning in Mumbai - the second largest city in India - at the head of a 125-member delegation that includes senior managers of major British companies such as the head of the airline "British Airways" (British Airways) Sean Doyle.
"India is expected to become the world's third-largest economy by 2028, trade with it is accelerating and becoming cheaper, so the opportunities are unprecedented," Starmer said before his departure.
Trade between the UK and India, which was part of the British colonial empire, is worth around $54.8 billion annually.
In the midst of a tariff war launched by US President Donald Trump, the two countries signed a free trade agreement in London in July. The agreement, reached as a result of years of negotiations, reduced duties on imports of British whiskey, cosmetics and medical equipment in exchange for reduced duties on imports of textiles, shoes and food products from India.
Starmer is expected to meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi tomorrow, and then the two will visit a technology exhibition together.
The head of the British government also said that Britain would not seek an agreement with Delhi to provide work visas to Indian citizens, despite the insistent demands of representatives of British business and industry.
"That is not in my plans", Starmer told journalists accompanying him in Mumbai and added: "We are here first and foremost to make the free trade agreement begin to bear fruit, we need to make it work".