New Delhi, Oct 09: During UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to India, the issue of Khalistani extremism featured prominently in his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday.
“Prime Minister Modi emphasised that radicalism and violent extremism have no space in democratic societies and must not be allowed to exploit the freedoms such societies provide. He underlined the need for both nations to act against such elements within the framework of their respective laws,” Misri stated.
Describing the visit as “truly a partnership for the people,” Misri said India and the UK are collaborating across multiple sectors to benefit citizens of both countries. He noted that the landmark India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will play a pivotal role in supporting India’s vision of a Viksit Bharat and in generating new employment opportunities for the youth.
Prime Minister Starmer arrived in India accompanied by a high-powered delegation of around 125 top UK business leaders, entrepreneurs, and educationists—the largest-ever British business delegation to visit India. The delegation also includes nine vice-chancellors from leading UK universities exploring academic partnerships in India.
During his stay, Starmer engaged with Indian industry leaders, visited Yash Raj Films to discuss film production collaborations, and attended a football-related event. Addressing business leaders from both nations, he urged them to identify barriers preventing deeper cooperation and to help shape government efforts to remove them.
“We want to support you in maximising the potential of this trade agreement,” Starmer said, noting that trade and investment between the two countries had already grown by £6 billion in the three months since the signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in July.
The discussion on radicalisation came in the wake of a security breach during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to London in March, when protesters disrupted an event at Chatham House.
On the official front, Prime Minister Modi received Starmer at Raj Bhavan, where the two leaders held wide-ranging talks on regional and global developments. They also interacted with UK university vice-chancellors and members of the reconstituted India-UK CEOs Forum.
Trade and investment remained central to the agenda, with Misri confirming that the FTA is currently undergoing ratification in both countries. The visit, he said, created an opportunity to deepen economic engagement and fully realise the benefits of tariff reductions.
New joint investments were also unveiled to strengthen the climate technology startup fund, aimed at promoting innovation and technological cooperation.
In a notable diplomatic gesture, Misri added that the UK reaffirmed its support for India’s bid for a permanent seat on a reformed United Nations Security Council, describing it as a significant mark of mutual respect and partnership.
