New Delhi, July 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed on Wednesday for a four-day official visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives, with a clear agenda to bolster India’s bilateral ties and economic partnerships with both nations.
In a statement ahead of his departure, Prime Minister Modi said he looked forward to deepening the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” between India and the United Kingdom, a relationship that has seen “significant progress in recent years.”
Highlighting sectors like trade, technology, innovation, defence, and education, he noted that his discussions with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would focus on enhancing economic cooperation “aimed at fostering prosperity, growth and job creation in both countries.”
PM Modi is also scheduled to call on King Charles III during the visit, underlining the depth of bilateral ties. India and the UK upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021. Since then, the two countries have witnessed high-level engagements, including multiple meetings between PM Modi and PM Starmer over the past year, most recently during the G7 Summit in June 2025.
The bilateral economic relationship has reached a new milestone, with India-UK trade crossing USD 55 billion in 2024. A major highlight was the announcement of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement on May 6, 2025. UK’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy has visited India twice in the past year, while External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited London in March. Several institutional mechanisms, including 2+2 dialogues and ministerial-level consultations, have added momentum to the partnership.
On the technology front, the Technology Security Initiative (TSI), launched in July 2024, has emerged as a major pillar of collaboration, covering sectors such as telecom, AI, semiconductors, biotech, and quantum technologies. UK is also India’s largest partner in international research collaborations, while the education linkages have strengthened with the opening of Southampton University’s Gurugram campus, the first under India’s New Education Policy.
The Prime Minister will also travel to the Maldives from July 25 to attend the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence. His visit comes at the invitation of Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
PM Modi highlighted that this year also marks six decades of diplomatic relations between India and the Maldives. In Male, the Prime Minister will hold talks with President Muizzu and other political leaders. “I look forward to my meetings… to advance our joint vision of a Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership, and to strengthen our cooperation for peace, prosperity and stability in the Indian Ocean Region,” he said.
India and the Maldives share a strong neighbourhood-first engagement, with the Prime Minister expressing confidence that the visit will “yield tangible outcomes” benefiting both nations and reinforcing India’s strategic focus on the Indian Ocean Region.
