PM Modi departs on 4-day visit to UK, Maldives
PM Modi departs on 4-day visit to UK, Maldives 
PM Modi has departed on a four-day visit to the UK and the Maldives with an aim to strengthen trade agreements and defence cooperation. With the India-UK free trade deal on the horizon and a focus on regional partnerships, this trip could reshape India’s international relationships.
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The UK visit is at the invitation of PM Keir Starmer, while the state visit to the Maldives is at the invitation of President Mohamed Muizzun as per the Ministry of External Affairs.
The focus of PM Modi’s visits to Britain and the Maldives is to shore-up trade and defence cooperation with the formalisation of the landmark India-UK free trade deal set to be the key outcome of his trip to London.
PM Modi’s foreign trip comes in the middle of Monsoon Session of Parliament that kicked-off on July 21.
The PM will first travel to the UK on Wednesday on a two-day trip and then visit the Maldives predominantly to grace the island nation’s Independence Day celebrations as “guest of honour”.
As per Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, apart from holding wide-ranging talks with British PM Keir Starmer, Modi will also meet King Charles III amidst his July 23-24 visit to the UK.
This is PM Modi’s fourth visit to the UK since assuming office.
Starmer is set to host Modi on Thursday, July 24, at Chequers, the official country residence of the British prime minister, 50 km northwest of London.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his British counterpart Jonathan Reynolds are likely to sign the free trade agreement (FTA) in the presence of the two prime ministers, people familiar with the matter.
In May 2025, India and the UK sealed the FTA that is expected to benefit 99 per cent of Indian exports from tariffs and will make it easier for British firms to export whisky, cars and other products to India, besides boosting the overall trade basket.
The trade deal, firmed up after three years of negotiations, is expected to ensure comprehensive market access for Indian goods across all sectors and India will gain from tariff elimination on about 99 per cent of tariff lines (product categories) covering almost 100 per cent of the trade values,
Along with the FTA—the biggest the UK has done since leaving the European Union—the two countries also sealed a double contribution convention. It provides for employers of Indian workers to be exempt from paying social security contributions in the UK.
“This visit, though a short one, will give both leaders the opportunity to review the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship and discuss ways to strengthen it further, and also discuss issues that are of regional and global relevance,” Misri said at a media briefing earlier this week.
A day ahead of Modi’s UK trip, PM-led Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the India-UK free trade agreement, paving the way for the much-awaited formal signing of the pact during Modi’s visit to London on 24 July, said two government officials, asking not to be identified.
When asked whether the FTA would be formally signed amidst PM Modi’s visit to the UK, Misri said work on it is continuing, and it is “last-minute.”
Misri further went on to say continuing to work on those and last-minute work on that is continuing,” he said.
The India-UK bilateral trade crossed USD 55 billion in 2023-24. The UK is the sixth largest investor in India, with a cumulative investment of USD 36 billion.
India’s investments in the UK are close to USD 20 billion, and some 1,000 Indian companies operating in Britain provide employment to almost 100,000 people.
Extensive security arrangements
The British side is understood to have made extensive security arrangements, including sensitising security agencies to Indian concerns, to avert any attempt by pro-Khalistan elements to disrupt PM Modi’s visit or organise protests.
The foreign secretary said defence, technology, research, innovation and education have emerged as key pillars of India-UK cooperation.
“In the defence sector, they are seeing regular interactions and exercises amongst all three branches of the armed forces. We have placed military instructors at each other’s military academies.
The foreign secretary also mentioned the Technology Security Initiative (TSI) between the two sides, which is focused on cooperation intelecom, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, semiconductors, advanced materials, and quantum computing.
Maldivian Independence Day on July 26
In the midst of his July 25-26 trip to the Maldives, Modi will hold extensive talks with President Mohamed Muizzu and inaugurate several India-assisted development projects in the island nation.
The prime minister will also be the guest of honour at the Maldivian Independence Day celebrations on July 26.
News Edit KV Raman
