Overview

• Keir Starmer arrives October 8–9 for his first official India trip, meeting Narendra Modi in Mumbai, delivering a Global Fintech Fest keynote, and engaging a 100‑plus UK delegation of CEOs and university leaders.
• CETA, signed in July, anchors the agenda as both sides court business to scale trade and investment, with UK parliamentary ratification expected after scrutiny the government has signaled could conclude next year.
• Talks will review the Vision 2035 roadmap, with an emphasis on translating commitments into projects across trade, education, climate, health, and people‑to‑people ties.
• Technology cooperation is a headline priority, with officials flagging advances in AI, fintech, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and work under the bilateral Technology Security Initiative.
• Defence industrial cooperation is in focus under the new roadmap, while the proposed AMCA fighter‑engine partnership remains unsettled after India’s reported tilt to Safran that UK sources and Rolls‑Royce say lacks formal confirmation.