Prime Minister Keir Starmer is scheduled to visit India for the first time in early October, with technology and trade high on his agenda. During the visit, he will join Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2025 in Mumbai, according to officials.
The three-day event, taking place from October 7–9 at the Jio World Centre, is hosted by the Payments Council of India, National Payments Corporation of India, and Fintech Convergence Council. It is supported by key Indian ministries and regulators, including the Reserve Bank of India and SEBI.
Over a dozen central banks, including regulators from Germany, France, Switzerland, and Singapore, are expected to attend the three-day Global Fintech Fest. The annual event will host around 500 global investors and 400 exhibitors.
Conference Chairman Kris Gopalakrishnan noted that the participation of the Indian and UK heads of state will elevate the event into a platform for thought leadership, promoting inclusive, agile, and resilient finance. “The UK and India share one of the world’s most dynamic economic partnerships. Financial services and technology are key, offering synergy between London’s fintech expertise and India’s digital infrastructure and billion-plus consumer base,” he added.
Starmer’s visit will focus on Mumbai, coming just over two months after Modi’s UK trip to finalise the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), now under ratification in the UK Parliament, aiming to double bilateral trade to $120 billion (£89bn) by 2030.
He may also visit Bengaluru, India’s technology hub. Officials noted that the two leaders will review progress on the broader India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, covering trade, defence, security, education, and innovation, shortly after the Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool. His visit comes amid a major cabinet reshuffle that has introduced sweeping changes, widely praised by ethnic minority communities for helping shape one of the most diverse parliaments in Britain’s history. (For more information, see page 1)
Technology cooperation between India and the UK has become increasingly important. Launched last year, the India-UK Tech Security Initiative focuses on collaboration in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, critical minerals, and secure telecoms.
During their July meeting at Chequers, Starmer accepted Modi’s invitation to visit India. Both leaders emphasised the strength of bilateral ties and expressed confidence that technology and broader cooperation would continue to grow in the coming years.
