New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI): Business, technology, research, and education have emerged as key pillars of India-UK bilateral cooperation, alongside robust engagement in trade, investment, and defense, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Tuesday, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the United Kingdom and Maldives.
In a special press briefing, Misri highlighted the breadth and depth of India-UK ties, which he said have seen sustained high-level exchanges and institutional cooperation. “There are regular engagements at the level of the External Affairs Minister and his counterpart, the British Foreign Secretary, and there are several other institutional mechanisms at the ministerial level dealing with strategic issues, financial, economic, energy-related issues, as well as science and technology,” he noted.
“In contemporary times, the sectors of business, technology, research, education, innovation, and the knowledge economy have emerged as pillars of our bilateral cooperation,” Misri added.
The Foreign Secretary recalled that the India-UK relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021 and has since been marked by frequent high-level political exchanges. “Our bilateral trade crossed USD 55 billion in 2023–24. The UK is also the sixth largest investor in India, with cumulative investments of USD 36 billion. Interestingly, India itself is a large source of foreign direct investment in the UK, with a cumulative investment of close to USD 20 billion,” he said.
On defense ties, Misri pointed to “regular interactions and exercises amongst all three branches of the armed forces,” reflecting the growing strategic cooperation between the two countries.
Misri also underscored the importance of the Indian diaspora in the UK, calling it “the living bridge” connecting the two nations. “One of the most important, probably the foundational aspect of this relationship, is the nearly 1.8-million-strong Indian diaspora in the UK, which has strengthened bonds of friendship and made extremely valuable contributions to the UK economy,” he said.
He further addressed concerns over Khalistani extremists and related groups, describing them as a matter of concern for India and adding that it has been raised with UK authorities.
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to embark on his two-nation tour of the UK and the Maldives from July 23 to July 26. The visit to the UK comes at the invitation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while the state visit to the Maldives is at the invitation of President Mohamed Muizzu.
During his UK visit, Modi and Starmer will hold wide-ranging discussions covering the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and will exchange views on regional and global issues of importance.
The India-UK partnership, rooted in historical ties, has evolved into a modern, multi-faceted, and mutually beneficial relationship, elevated to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership level in 2021. Modi and Starmer have met twice in the past year—on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil in November 2024 and again during the G7 Summit in June 2025—and have spoken multiple times by phone during this period.
(ANI)
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