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Informist, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025

 

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--Modi: India, UK to form supply chain observatory for critical minerals 
--CONTEXT: Modi, UK Prime Minister Starmer's comments at joint presser 
--UK PM Starmer: More British universities to set up campus in India 
--UK PM Starmer: To deepen India, UK cooperation in tech security 
--UK PM Starmer: Committed to strengthening India-UK partnership 
--UK PM Starmer: Discussed need to cooperate on climate, energy with PM Modi 
--UK PM: Discussed with Modi need to break away from fossil fuel dependance 

 

NEW DELHI – India and the UK Thursday discussed ways to strenthen partnership, including in sectors like tech security, climate, and energy. "We are buidling something here, we are creating a new, modern partnership, focussed on the future, and on winning the opportunities that it offers for doing it together," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

 

Starmer is on an official visit to India, during which the two sides discussed ways to take forward and strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement signed in July. The two countries also signed Terms of Reference to reposition the Joint Economic and Trade Committee in order to deliver the benefits of the trade agreement and deepen bilateral trade ties. The UK is among India's top 10 export destinations.

 

"This institutional reset is a game-changer, strengthening our framework for strategic engagement, driving the implementation of the India-UK CETA, and boosting our joint ambition to significantly enhance our bilateral trade," Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said in a post on X Thursday, after signing the Terms of Reference.  

 

Under the free trade agreement between the two countries, India has committed to cut duty on 90% tariff lines while the UK would slash duty on 99% tariff lines. India's labour-intensive sectors--textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery, and engineering goods--are set to get a strong boost under the trade agreement with the UK, Modi had said after the signing of the deal. Both sides have set the aim to double bilateral trade by 2030, which was $23.15 billion in 2024-25 (Apr-Mar). The two countries are yet to ratify the trade agreement. 

 

At the press conference Thursday, Modi said the two countries decided to establish an industry guild and supply chain observatory for cooperation on critical minerals. "Its satellite campus will be at Institute for Supply Management, Dhanbad," Modi said. India has been working on expanding supply sources and boosting exploration of critical minerals, including rare earth elements, amid a supply chain bottleneck caused by the export restrictions imposed by China. Rare earth elements are used in producing rare earth magnets and are key materials for several sectors, including electric vehicles. 

 

Starmer said the two leaders also discussed the need to increase cooperation on climate and energy sectors. "We discussed the need to break away from the dependence on fossil fuels," he said. 

 

India and the UK also decided to further integrate cooperation in the education sector, with Starmer announcing more British universities would set up campus in India. "It is a matter of great joy that now nine universities from the UK are going to open campuses in India," Modi said. 

 

The two leaders met a day after a series of sectoral roundtables were held across sectors like advanced manufacturing, consumer goods, food and drink, science, technology and innovation, construction, infrastructure and clean energy, and financial, professional and business services including information technology, education, and engineering. "These dialogues brought together leading voices from Indian and UK industry and provided valuable insights to guide implementation," the commerce ministry said in a release. 

 

An India–UK CEO Forum was also held to bring together business leaders from both countries to discuss new opportunities for trade, investment, and innovation. "Co-chaired by prominent industry representatives from India and the UK, the Forum served as a key platform to deepen bilateral economic cooperation and strengthen partnerships across sectors," the ministry said.  End

 

US$1 = INR 88.79

 

Reported by Priyasmita Dutta

Edited by Vandana Hingorani

 

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