UK won't relax visa rules for India, Starmer says
Speaking before he arrived in India to tout the advantages of a new trade deal, Sir Keir Starmer said that the UK would not relax visa controls for India. As he continues to boost investment in the UK and boost sluggish economic growth, the prime minister is leading a delegation of more than 100 entrepreneurs, cultural figures, and university vice-chancellors. Sir Keir said that there were huge opportunities
to develop trade and cultural ties with India. However, he said that there were no plans to provide additional visa routes to Indian employees or students.
Sir Keir, a speaker in India, said no business executives he had met had raised with me the issue of visas
during his trip. Rather, the trip to India is about providing the opportunities
for Indian companies to profit
from the UK-India trade agreement, which was signed in July after years of talks. It would mean that UK cars and whisky will be cheaper to export to India, and Indian textiles and jewelry will be more affordable to export from the United Kingdom as part of the multi-billion pound trade boost. The agreement included a three-year waiver for Indian employees working in the UK on short-term visas. However, ministers maintained that there were no further changes in immigration policy. At the Labour government's conference last week, the Labour Party is attempting to reduce the number of immigrants into the UK and has unveiled a tougher approach to settlement status. Visas played no part
in the trade agreement with India, according to Sir Keir, who spoke to reporters on the plane on the way to Mumbai, and the situation had not changed. Asked whether the UK could pursue tech entrepreneurs in the aftermath of President Donald Trump's reforms to the H-1B visa in the United States, Sir Keir said the UK needs to recruit top talent
from around the world to help grow the UK economy, but that there are no plans for new visa routes to India, but there have been no plans to expand the UK market. Sir Keir told reporters in Mumbai,
he said, at a time when the UK-India relationship was at "an all-time high.We have the single largest delegation trade mission ever to India,
Sir Keir also announced that three Bollywood films would be produced in the United Kingdom by Yash Raj Films from 2026, bringing an eight-year absence to an end. Downing Street praised the change to the UK-India trade agreement, saying that it would bring 3,000 jobs and pour millions of dollars into the economy. As it was announced that his studio will return to the United Kingdom, Yash Raj Films chief executive officer Akshaye Widhani said the UK holds a very special place in our hearts.
Unmatched infrastructure, technology, and talent in the United Kingdom is unmatched, and we are delighted to deepen our cultural ties with a world that has always encouraged us to excel creatively," Mr Widhani said.
British Airways, one of the airline passengers on the plane, confirmed plans to operate a third daily flight between Delhi and Heathrow next year. A new direct route to Delhi has also been announced by Manchester Airport. During the two-day tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had posted his warm birthday greetings
to Russian President Vladimir Putin on social media ahead of Sir Keir's visit, is expected to meet his India counterpart NarendraModi. Sir Keir told reporters that he would not be following suit:
When asked whether he'd condemn Modi for India's purchase of Russian oil, Sir Keir said the UK's focus was on Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers. The UK had been one ofI haven't sent birthday greetings to Putin, and I don't intend to do so. That doesn't appear to be a surprise, I don't think it came as a shock.
the leading countries in the case of theshadow fleet
of course we always raise consular cases on every level" when asked about the situation ahead of a meeting with Modi tomorrow.- the term used to unregulated tankers ferrying oil from Russia, according to the prime minister. During his trip, Sir Keir also stated that he would bring up the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, the British Sikh man who was detained in an Indian jail for seven years without ever being arrested. Sir Keir said
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