17/12/2025
Agreement Reached: May 2025 – Modi and Starmer announced the conclusion of negotiations via a phone call.
Formal Signing: July 24, 2025 – During Modi's visit to the UK, the deal was signed at Chequers (Starmer's country residence). It was hailed as a "historic" and "landmark" post-Brexit deal for the UK, reducing tariffs on over 90% of goods (e.g., UK exports like whisky, cars, and cosmetics; Indian exports like textiles, spices, and engineering goods).
Implementation and Follow-Up: October 9, 2025 – Starmer visited India (Mumbai), meeting Modi to promote the deal's rollout. They announced new investments (e.g., £1.3 billion from Indian companies in the UK), defence pacts (including a £350 million missile supply deal), and education ties (nine new UK university campuses in India). Both leaders described it as transformative for bilateral trade (currently ~$56 billion, aimed to double) and a "launchpad" for deeper ties in tech, defence, and fintech.
