British Foreign Secretary David Lammy begins India visit

New Delhi: British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Wednesday began a two-day visit to India to galvanise negotiations for the long-pending Free Trade Agreement and explore ways to shore up bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, including clean energy, new technologies and security.

It is the first high-level engagement between India and the UK after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government came to power on July 5.

"India is the emerging superpower of the 21st century, the largest country in the world with 1.4 billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world," Lammy said.

"Our Free Trade Agreement negotiations is the floor not the ceiling of our ambitions to unlock our shared potential and deliver growth, from Bengaluru to Birmingham," he said.

A British government readout said, Lammy will push for a "reset" of the UK-India partnership, including through reinforcing London's commitment to securing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), that will benefit both economies.

It said the foreign secretary will also galvanise support for accelerated action on the climate crisis with India as an "indispensable partner", driving forward the clean energy transition and creating opportunities for British and Indian businesses.

It said he will discuss partnering on Indian-led global initiatives to build clean power access, climate resilience in the global south and small island states.

"We have shared interests on the green transition, new technologies, economic security and global security," Lammy was quoted as saying in the readout.

"I am travelling to India in my first month as Foreign Secretary because resetting our relationship with the Global South is a key part of how this government will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity at home," he said.

Lammy and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold wide-ranging talks this evening that is expected to focus on the FTA and New Delhi's concerns over activities of pro-Khalistan elements in Britain, people familiar with the matter said.

The British readout said the foreign secretary will highlight the importance of new partnership with India that focuses on economic, domestic and global security.

Economic, domestic and global security will be at the heart the foreign secretary's first visit to India as he travels to New Delhi to unlock the full potential of the UK-India partnership.

He will tell his Indian counterpart that he wants to drive forward greater growth for both countries, it said.

The foreign secretary will underscore the importance of the "Living Bridge" between the UK and India.

It represents the 1.7 million people with Indian heritage that have made their home in the UK and make an exceptional contribution to British life, the readout released by the UK High Commission in New Delhi said.

"In a visit to India's third largest technology company, the Foreign Secretary will meet business leaders to highlight how the UK and India are working together on shared ambitions such as cutting-edge science to encourage innovation, boost trade, and improve the livelihoods of working people in both countries," it said.

The Foreign Secretary will also hold high-level talks with members from the Indian government, including Jaishankar, it said.

Lammy will reiterate the extraordinary contribution of British Indians, saying that they enrich the UK's social and economic landscape and are the epitome of modern Britain, it added.