London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed confidence ahead of the UK-India Week 2023 starting on Saturday that the UK-India partnership will be defining for our times. The program, which will run till June 30, will highlight the areas of politics, business etc. Hailing the event as a catalyst for forging new business ties, the British-Indian Prime Minister said the India Global Forum’s annual UK-India Week 2023 is a highly anticipated fixture in the bilateral calendar of our two great nations. This is a catalyst for new business relationships, lasting collaboration and a better future for our people, Sunak, 43, said. I believe this partnership will be defining for our times.
Sunak’s comments come against the backdrop of the 2030 Roadmap and ongoing FTA negotiations, a key indicator of his ambition to transform and enhance the UK-India relationship. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the recent G7 Summit in Hiroshima, where the two leaders reviewed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and took stock of FTA negotiations. The British government has estimated that a trade deal could increase UK GDP by around £3.3 billion to £6.2 billion and India by around £3.7 billion to £8.6 billion by 2035.
As in her prior role as chancellor, Sunak spoke at the event last year as a special guest, highlighting the importance of building partnerships of equals. He had said, India is not looking to the past, nor can we do so. We need to move on. Because Britain doesn’t have an inherent right to sit at the table with one of the world’s biggest, fastest growing and most dynamic economies, we have to earn it. Given the geopolitical turmoil and economic turbulence around the world, I believe it is more important now than ever that the UK and India forge closer and deeper ties, said Manoj Ladwa, Founder and President, India Global Forum .
I am therefore grateful to Prime Minister Sunak for recognizing the role the IGF is playing in bringing our two great democracies closer together to unleash the true potential of the partnership. This year’s UK-India week will open with an address by the leader of the opposition Labor Party, Keir Starmer, and will be attended by a number of senior political and business figures from both countries. Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh and Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan will be among the key figures attending the event. Past speakers at the event included King Charles III, five serving and former British Prime Ministers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other world-renowned business leaders, entrepreneurs and cultural figures.
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