Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Andy Burnham on Friday pledged to fully harness the trade and investment potential of a trade deal operationalised this month and to deepen cooperation in key sectors such as technology, defence and security.
<figure class="art
The two leaders also discussed the West Asia crisis during a phone call and agreed to work closely together for de-escalation and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. This was the first interaction between them since Burnham became the PM on July 20, succeeding Keir Starmer.
Modi said in a social media post that he congratulated Burnham on becoming PM and conveyed his best wishes for a successful tenure.
“We will also collaborate closely to fully harness the trade and investment opportunities presented by the recently operationalised India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, for the shared prosperity and well-being of both our people,” Modi said, referring to the trade deal that came into effect on July 15.
Modi said he and Burnham also agreed to work together in sectors such as technology, innovation, defence, security, clean energy, education and people-to-people ties and “take the India-UK comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights”.
The trade deal was signed in July 2025 after three years of negotiations, and it secured zero-duty access for almost 99% of India’s exports to the UK.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues, and a British readout said they “discussed the situation in the Middle East, agreeing to continue to work closely together towards de-escalation and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz”.
According to the British readout, Burnham began the conversation by reflecting on the strength of the UK-India partnership and the significant impact it has had on local communities across the UK. He set out his ambitions to further enhance the bilateral relationship, including through the UK-India Vision 2035 framework and strong people-to-people links.
Burnham underlined the value of the trade deal, which will create opportunities for people across both countries. He outlined his personal commitment to the UK-India Technology Security Initiative, and both leaders noted the potential to work together on cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Burnham also praised the contribution of Indian communities to the fabric of UK society, and Modi noted the links between the two leaders’ home cities of Manchester and Ahmedabad in Gujarat, which Modi called the “Manchester of India”.
The British readout said the two leaders looked forward to speaking again soon and “meeting in person at the earliest opportunity”.
