India and UK announce wide-ranging trade, tech, climate, defence commitments

The UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited India (08-09 October 2025) at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi; the leaders reaffirmed the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and announced multiple concrete initiatives across trade, technology, defence, climate finance and education.

• Main announcement & actions: The visit resulted in endorsement of the India–UK CETA (awaiting ratification), the re-setting of JETCO, establishment of the India–UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre with at least £24m joint funding in phase one, the India–UK Joint Centre for AI, a Climate Tech Start-up Fund under an MoU between the UK Government and State Bank of India, and agreement to proceed government-to-government on an initial supply of Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems. Visit dates: 08–09 October 2025; CETA ratification: encouraged “as early as possible”.
• Additional details & timelines: Agreed to finalise an India–UK IGA on maritime electric propulsion systems (no date specified); announced Phase 2 expansion of the UK-India Critical Minerals Supply Chain Observatory and a new satellite campus at IIT-ISM Dhanbad; leaders welcomed the Offshore Wind Taskforce and exploration under the Global Clean Power Alliance (GCPA). The statement records participation of 125 CEOs and lists university campus approvals and Letters of Intent for multiple UK universities to open branch campuses in India.