Focus Europe

“Focus Europe” features studies of strategic developments and security issues in Europe, the progress of EU-India relations, and India’s ties with major European powers. 

This month’s issue looks at the India-UK strategic partnership, which is advancing towards deeper strategic convergence under “Vision 2035”, structured across five pillars of cooperation. 

India and the United Kingdom have long maintained cordial but limited relations centred on education, culture, and people-to-people ties. The partnership entered a new phase in 2021, with the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and the launch of the ten-year Roadmap 2030, setting clear priorities across trade, defence, climate, health, and connectivity. 

In 2022, this momentum continued with the launch of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, backed by strong political and public support in the UK. The Technology  Security Initiative in 2024 added depth, linking government, industry, and academia in emerging technologies.

The year 2025 has been particularly significant. In July, India and the UK signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and adopted the Vision 2035, a forward-looking framework built around five pillars: growth, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate and clean energy, and education. 

In October 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited India with one of the UK’s largest delegations, comprising representatives from business, academia, and culture. The visit yielded key outcomes: a USD 350 million missile supply contract, creation of a Connectivity and Innovation Centre, the Joint Centre for Artificial Intelligence, the Critical Minerals Observatory Satellite Campus at IIT-ISM, and a Joint Climate Technology Start-up Fund. Agreements were also reached on establishing UK university campuses in India and expanding cooperation in health, research, and climate. 

Mobility remains a sensitive issue amid broader European debates on migration. Yet under CETA, provisions were streamlined for professionals in defined categories, reflecting modest but concrete progress. 

With the exchange of two prime ministerial visits in a single year, the India-UK relationship has reached a new level of trust and ambition. The next step lies in effective implementation—turning a shared vision into measurable outcomes that advance innovation, growth, and strategic influence for both nations.

To read this Focus Europe, Vol. I, Issue 4, please see the PDF attached.