AUS
NZ
UK
CA
USA
IND
Summary
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson has accepted the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit India in January 2021
- The January visit is likely to underline the PM’s commitment to step up Britain’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific region
- PM Johnson has also invited Indian counterpart to attend the G7 Leaders’ Meeting slated to be held in 2021
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be travelling to India in a move that is intended to buttress the strategic relationship, boosting job prospects and investment with India. This will be Johnson’s first bilateral visit to India after resuming the office.
The Prime Minister has accepted the invitation of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to attend India’s Republic Day ceremony as a Guest of Honour. PM Johnson will be the second British leader to attend India’s Republic Day parade after former PM John Mayor in 1993.
PM Johnson is “absolutely delighted” and looking forward to delivering the “quantum leap” in the bilateral relationship shared with PM Modi.
(Image Source - ©Kalkine Group 2020)
Agenda of PM’s visit
The January visit is likely to underline the Prime Minister’s commitment to step up Britain’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific region after the country formally quits the European Union.
PM Johnson has also invited India to attend the G7 Leaders’ Meeting slated to be held in 2021. India will attend the summit along with Australia and South Korea.
One of the key agendas of the PM’s visit includes kicking off a crucial year for Britain on the global stage as the UK will host G7 Leaders’ Meeting, COP26 Summit, a special event to commemorate UN General Assembly’s first meeting in London in 1946 and a global education conference aimed at getting girls into school, the government said in a statement on Tuesday.
Bilateral ties
The Prime Minister is likely to emphasise on the areas concerning Great Britain, during his maiden visit, prioritising the international engagement of the UK throughout 2021. With the strategic ties between the UK and India, both the countries enjoy a significant partnership as India and the UK are crucial markets for each other, the government said.
According to the government, the trade and investment relationship with India, which supports over half a million jobs in Britain, is estimated to be somewhere around £24 billion per year. The technology giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has employed around 19,500 people at various sites including Edinburgh, Liverpool and Peterborough.
Britain witnesses a combined turnover of nearly £41.2 billion from the 842 Indian companies operating in the UK. On the other hand, India houses over 400 British enterprises, including the companies that are collaborating to tackle climate change.
In line with the strategic partnership with India, more than a billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine, co-developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, are being manufactured at the Pune-headquartered world’s largest vaccine maker Serum Institute of India. In the challenging times of the global health emergency, the UK had received around 3 million packets of paracetamol and 11 million face masks from India. The UK is willing to maintain the vital supply chains network operational with India in the future.
India is an increasingly indispensable partner for the UK as both countries have cooperated closely in addressing the hardships arising due to the coronavirus pandemic, ensuring the supply of essential medical goods for the Britons. Moreover, both the countries have worked collectively to boost growth, create jobs and opportunities for UK enterprises in areas, including electric vehicles, green energy alternatives and progressing ahead with an objective of reducing the global emissions.
