Boris Johnson India Visit: UK PM to announce new deals worth £1 billion-Know other Key Agreements expected to be signed

Boris Johnson India Visit: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on April 21, 2022 marking the beginning of his two-day visit to India. This is Johnson's maiden visit to India after becoming UK PM and it was long overdue after two previous cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK PM is expected to announce a slew of commercial agreements worth £1 billion in several areas. 

As per a press statement by the British High Commission, PM Johnson will use his visit to India to boost ties with India, slashing trade barriers for UK businesses and driving jobs and growth at home. UK and Indian businesses will confirm more than £1 billion in new investments and export deals today in areas from software engineering to health, creating almost 11,000 jobs across the UK.

Johnson began his two-day visit from Ahmedabad, where he was accorded with a grand welcome. The UK PM is scheduled to meet with leading business group leaders and discuss India and UK's growing commercial trade, and people's links. He was hosted by Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani who wrote, "Honoured to host @BorisJohnson, the first UK PM to visit Gujarat, at Adani HQ. Delighted to support climate & sustainability agenda with a focus on renewables, green H2 & new energy. Will also work with UK companies to co-create defence & aerospace technologies."

Honoured to host @BorisJohnson, the first UK PM to visit Gujarat, at Adani HQ. Delighted to support climate & sustainability agenda with focus on renewables, green H2 & new energy. Will also work with UK companies to co-create defence & aerospace technologies. #AtmanirbharBharat pic.twitter.com/IzoRpIV6ns

— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) April 21, 2022

Johnson, accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupesh Patel, visited Sabarmati Ashram, Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar and also attended a program at Gujarat Biotechnology University in Gandhinagar GIFT City. He also visited the JCB factory at Halol GIDC, Panchmahal in Gujarat. This is the first time that a UK PM has visited Gujarat, the fourth largest state in India and the ancestral place of half of the British-Indian population.

#WATCH UK PM Boris Johnson along with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel visits JCB factory at Halol GIDC, Panchmahal in Gujarat

(Source: UK Pool) pic.twitter.com/Wki9PKAsDA

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2022

"We're hoping to complete another free trade agreement with India by the end of the year, by the autumn," UK PM Boris Johnson said during his visit to Gujarat. He added saying that there is also the opportunity for us to deepen our security and defence partnership, as the UK is making an Indo-Pacific tilt in our integrated review of our national defence and security strategy.

There's also the opportunity for us to deepen our security and defence partnership. As you know, the UK is making an Indo-Pacific tilt in our integrated review of our national defence and security strategy: British PM Boris Johnson pic.twitter.com/nfTsFm2N2t

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2022

On India's stand on Russia-Ukraine conflict

The British PM said, "As I think everybody understands, India and Russia have historically very different a relationship, perhaps, than Russia and the UK have had over the last couple of decades. We have to reflect that reality, but clearly I'll be talking about it to Narendra Modi."

"Well, they've already raised Ukraine, as you can imagine with Prime Minister Modi. And actually, if you look at what the Indians have said, they were very strong in their condemnation of the atrocities in Bucha," Johnson added.'

As I think everybody understands, India and Russia have historically very different a relationship, perhaps, than Russia and the UK have had over the last couple of decades. We have to reflect that reality, but clearly I'll be talking about it to Narendra Modi: British PM

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2022

Boris Johnson in India: Key Highlights

The British Prime Minister will travel to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 22, 2022 and hold in-depth talks on India-UK's strategic, diplomatic, defence and economic partnership. He will be accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan in the morning and later attend a wreath-laying ceremony at Raj Ghat, the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi. 

He will also hold details talks with Union External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar. The two sides are expected to issue a joint press statement at around 1 pm at Hyderabad House on April 22nd.

Key Agreements expected to be signed

• According to British High Commission, UK and Indian businesses will confirm more than £1 billion in new investments and export deals in areas ranging from software engineering to health. 
• The British PM will use the visit to drive progress in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations that were launched between the two countries earlier this year. The third round of negotiations are expected to begin next week and the two sides are keen to double bilateral trade by 2030. A deal with India is expected to boost UK's total trade up to around 28 billion pounds annually by 2035. 
• The investment deals include a new Switch Mobility electric bus R&D centre in the UK and the opening of their Asia Pacific Headquarters in Chennai and investment from leading Indian manufacturer Bharat Forge and electric truck maker Tevva Motors to expand to a new site in the south-east and Indian software company Mastek investing £79mn to create 1600 jobs in the UK over the next three years.
• The British PM is expected to welcome OneWeb by signing a historic contract for satellite launches with New Space India Limited, the commercial arm of ISRO. OneWeb is an innovative UK-based satellite communications company.
• The UK PM is expected to confirm major new science and tech collaboration with India including a Digital Health partnership and a joint investment fund for Indian deep-tech and AI start-ups.
• The United Kingdom is also expected to confirm new AI scholarships for Indian students jointly funded by the UK Government's Chevening programme and India's Adani Group and a £6m investment from AI healthcare specialists Qure-ai to open a Centre of Excellence in the UK.

Background

UK PM Boris Johnson and PM Modi had agreed on a UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership last year, announcing more than 530 million pounds in investment into the UK. The two leaders had committed to a deeper bilateral relationship across trade, health, climate, defence and security and people to people ties.

The United Kingdom had also identified India as a priority relationship in the 2021 Integrated Review and had invited the country as a guest to last year's G7 Summit in Carbis Bay.

The UK Prime Minister's visit to India comes amid the rising importance of the Indo-Pacific and India's centrality in the region. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is also expected to figure in the bilateral talks with the British PM putting forth UK's position and listening to the Indian perspective. The two sides understand and respect each other's position.