New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have vowed to deepen bilateral cooperation between the two countries with focus on greater economic ties, defence and education.
Addressing the media Thursday, after bilateral talks with Starmer, Modi told the media in Mumbai that a large number of strategic issues were discussed, including the peace process in the Middle East ravaged by the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war and Indo-Pacific security.
Modi said bilateral defence cooperation has grown between the two countries. “We are moving towards defence co-production and connecting the defence industries of both countries.”
Incidentally, neither leader mentioned the proposed co-development and co-production of a new fighter jet engine expected to fire India’s futuristic Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Modi did, however, reveal that, taking defence cooperation a step further, both sides have “signed an agreement on cooperation in military training”.
“Under this agreement, Indian Air Force flying instructors will serve as trainers in the UK Royal Air Force,” he said.
Though exact details of this agreement are not clear just yet, sources said it could entail an exchange programme wherein instructors from both countries could be deployed at flying schools in the other country, similar to an earlier agreement with the US.
Defence cooperation has been a key cornerstone for future growth of the India-UK bilateral relationship. Joint production and co-development of fighter jets and next-generation jet engine technology is part of the two countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced in May 2021. India and the UK had in July this year announced a defence industrial roadmap as part of the broader Vision 2035 partnership, which focused on “deepening collaboration in advanced technologies and complex weapons through programmes like Electric Propulsion Capability Partnership (EPCP) & Jet Engine Advanced Core Technologies (JEACT) Innovation and co-development are key priorities”.
Though French firm Safran is set to bag the contract for development of the new engine technology, the UK remains hopeful.
Sources have indicated to ThePrint that India is very interested in the EPCP and naval power projects are one area New Delhi is keen to collaborate on with the UK.
Modi, during his remarks Thursday, said there is a lot of scope in UK-India technology partnership. “We are trying to integrate the UK’s industrial expertise in R&D with India’s talent and scale,” he said. Adding, “We are fully committed to enhancing maritime security cooperation with the UK in the Indo-Pacific region.”
A joint statement released by both sides said they are pleased with the intent to finalize an India-UK Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on cooperation in development of maritime electric propulsion systems for Indian naval platforms.
It added that the two sides also announced the agreement to proceed via government-to-government route on an initial supply of Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems.
“This will further support India’s air defence capabilities and, in the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat, meet the current and future requirements of the Indian Ministry of Defence, and support a long-term collaboration on complex weapons between the two countries,” read the joint statement.
In his statement to the media, Starmer said the India-UK relationship is special and pointed out that all major British universities will set up a campus in India.
The UK PM underlined that he is accompanied on his two-day visit by a delegation of 125 of the UK’s most prominent business leaders, entrepreneurs and educationists. This is the largest trade delegation from the UK to have ever visited India.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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