Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the United Kingdom on Thursday to sign a landmark trade agreement with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The visit marks Modi's fourth trip to Britain since he assumed office in 2014.
The two leaders are expected to formally sign a UK-India free trade deal announced earlier in May, which the British government estimates could add £4.8 billion ($6.5 billion) annually to the UK economy and boost bilateral trade by over £25 billion.
Modi is also scheduled to meet King Charles III during his brief stay.
The trade pact is expected to ease tariffs on a range of goods. The UK will benefit from lower tariffs on exports such as whisky, cosmetics, and medical equipment, while India will enjoy reduced tariffs on clothing, footwear, and food products, including frozen prawns.
Bilateral trade between the two nations is currently valued at around £41 billion and supports over 600,000 jobs across both countries.
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As Modi departed India on Wednesday, he described the trade relationship as one that has "achieved significant momentum" and is focused on "fostering prosperity, growth, and job creation."
However, the visit is not without controversy. Starmer is under pressure to raise human rights concerns, including the imprisonment of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Scottish Sikh activist detained in India since 2017 on terrorism-related charges. Despite being cleared of one charge in March, he has yet to be convicted of any crime.
Both leaders may also address last month's Air India crash that killed 241 people, including 52 British nationals. Questions have emerged over the identification of some victims' remains, prompting calls for a high-level review.
Starmer and Modi have recently met at international forums including the G7 summit in Canada and the G20 meeting in Brazil.
