Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

India 'Trade Deal by Diwali'

India 'Trade Deal by Diwali'

AN Indo-British bilateral free-trade deal could be wrapped up by October, prime minister Boris Johnson said in New Delhi last week, as he concluded his much-delayed visit to India.

Britain and India also agreed to step up defence and business cooperation, Johnson said, adding that London would support Delhi’s goal of building its own fighter jets, to reduce expensive imports of military equipment.


India relies heavily on Russia for its military hardware and Delhi has come under pressure in recent weeks to reduce its imports from Moscow following Russian president Vladimir Putin’s launch of the war in Ukraine in February.

Delhi has not condemned the Russian invasion in the face of increasing pressure from the UK, US and other western nations.

“The threats of autocratic coercion have grown even further,” Johnson said alongside India’s prime minister Narendra Modi, in an apparent reference to Beijing.

“And it’s therefore vital that we deepen our cooperation, including our shared interest in keeping the Indo-Pacific open and free.”

India has a mix of Russian, British and French fighter jets as it faces increasing aggression from China, whose close ally in the region is Pakistan.

India is also part of the Quad grouping with the United States, Japan and Australia that is seen as a bulwark against an increasingly assertive China in the Indo-Pacific.

Johnson finally made his visit to India after the trip was delayed twice owing to the Covid-19 pandemic in the past two years, but the visit was overshadowed by questions over the “partygate” scandal in London.

Johnson was the most recent among high profile visitors to New Delhi in recent weeks as a US-led alliance seeks to lure India away from Moscow, promising enhanced security, defence and energy cooperation.

Modi had telephone talks with US president Joe Biden last week, while European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen arrived last Sunday (24). Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi have both also visited India in recent weeks.

India’s foreign secretary said Johnson did not put pressure on Modi over New Delhi’s position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Prime minister Johnson shared his perspective on it, prime minister Modi shared ours – which is that the Russia-Ukraine war should end immediately,” Harsh Vardhan Shringla told reporters. “There was no pressure of any kind.”

Johnson said after meeting Modi it was unlikely India would end its long-standing ties with Russia. “The position on Russia that the Indians have historically is well known. They are not going to change that, of course, that’s true,” he told a press conference on the final day of his two-day trip. “But they can see what is going on and there is an increasing appetite to do more with the UK.”

Johnson said negotiators from the two countries were expected to complete a free-trade deal by the end of this year.

“We’re telling our negotiators to get it done by Diwali in October. This could double our trade and investments by the end of the decade,” he said.

New Delhi has sought more UK visas for Indians to work or study in Britain.

Johnson said the new bilateral partnership with India was “a decades-long commitment” and he praised the relationship between “one of the oldest democracies, and India, certainly the largest democracy”.

Modi said it was “historic” that Johnson’s visit to India came in the 75th year of its independence. “We discussed several regional and international developments and stressed a free, open, inclusive and rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific,” he added.

Exact details of the security partnership were not immediately available.

But Johnson said the two had agreed to work together in defence procurement “to meet threats across land, sea and air, space and cyber, including partnering on new fighter jet technology, maritime technologies to detect and respond to threats in the oceans”.

New Delhi has long sought to bolster its domestic military manufacturing capacity, partly to reduce its dependence on Moscow and partly as a contribution to its “Make in India” campaign.

The Indian government last year gave a `480-billion (£5bn) contract to state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd for 83 light combat aircraft, Tejas, for delivery starting around 2023.

The United States last month offered India more defence and energy sales, after president Biden called India “somewhat shaky” in acting against Russia.

Johnson said Britain was also creating an India-specific open general export license to slash delivery times for defence items. Only the European Union and the United States currently have such licences.

Foreign secretary Shringla said India could seek Britain’s support on electric propulsion systems for naval ships and jet propulsion systems for planes. The focus was on “co-development and co-production” of defence equipment, he said.

However, Mohan Guruswamy, a director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives in New Delhi, said India would remain reliant on Russian military equipment, partly because it is cheaper.

“Russia’s offer to India is always that ‘Our cupboard is open’, (but) Britain doesn’t offer India everything it wants and what it does make available is usually more expensive,” he said.

Johnson said a free-trade agreement would help India sell more rice and textiles to Britain.

British trade with India, was worth £23 billion in 2019, much lower than the UK’s trade with some much smaller economies such as Ireland.

Johnson began his maiden India visit as prime minister last Thursday (21) in Modi’s home state of Gujarat, where he announced new investments worth £1bn that he said will help create 11,000 jobs across the UK. (Agencies).

More For You

IND vs ENG

Shree Charani of India (2R) celebrates the wicket of Amy Jones during the 2nd women's T20 match between England and India in Bristol on July 1, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

India look to clinch maiden women's T20I series win against England

INDIA will look to secure their first women’s T20I series win over England when they play the third match of the five-game series on Friday. India currently lead the series 2-0.

England will be without their captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who has been ruled out of the match due to a left groin injury.

Keep ReadingShow less
Helldivers 2

The announcement was made during a livestream

YouTube/ IGN

Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox this August, Sony confirms

Key points

  • Helldivers 2 launches on Xbox Series X|S on 26 August 2025.
  • Sony is publishing the title on Xbox, an unusual move for the company.
  • Crossplay confirmed between Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
  • The announcement coincides with Gears of War: Reloaded’s PS5 debut.

Helldivers 2 to launch on Xbox Series X|S this August

Sony has confirmed that Helldivers 2 will launch on Xbox Series X and S on 26 August 2025, marking a rare move by the company to release one of its games on a rival console. The announcement was made during a livestream and comes on the same day Microsoft’s Gears of War: Reloaded is set to arrive on PlayStation 5.

Developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Helldivers 2 is a co-op third-person shooter that has already achieved major success on PlayStation 5 and PC, where it launched in February 2024. The title has since sold over 12 million copies in just 12 weeks, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game of all time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR in

Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR will not appear together for promotions as YRF keeps them apart

Instagram/yrf

Will YRF’s plan to keep Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR apart boost 'War 2’s hype or backfire?

Quick highlights:

  • Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR will promote War 2 separately ahead of its 14 August 2025 release.
  • Yash Raj Films is keeping the actors apart to preserve the film’s on-screen conflict.
  • Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film is part of YRF’s growing Spy Universe.
  • Fans have expressed disappointment over missing out on the stars’ joint promotional appearances.

With just weeks to go before War 2 hits theatres, Yash Raj Films has decided that Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR will not appear together during the film’s promotional run. The production house is deliberately keeping them apart to heighten anticipation around their on-screen showdown. While some fans see this as a bold marketing move, others are left disappointed by the lack of camaraderie in the lead-up to the film.

 War 2 Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR starrer War 2 to hit IMAX screens worldwide  Instagram/yrf  

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Bond yields ease following Starmer’s support for Reeves

THE COST of UK government borrowing fell on Thursday, partially reversing the rise seen after Chancellor Rachel Reeves became emotional during Prime Minister’s Questions.

The yield on 10-year government bonds dropped to 4.55 per cent, down from 4.61 per cent the previous day. The pound also recovered slightly to $1.3668 (around £1.00), though it did not regain all its earlier losses.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gill becomes first Asian captain to score double-century in England

Shubman Gill reacts to reaching his double hundred on day two of the second cricket test match against England at Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham, central England on July 3, 2025. (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)

Gill becomes first Asian captain to score double-century in England

SHUBMAN GILL etched his name in cricket history on Thursday (3), becoming the first Indian and Asian captain to score a double-century in a Test match on English soil as he powered India to a commanding position at Edgbaston.

The 25-year-old skipper scored 269 on the second day of the second Test, having shattered multiple records in a masterful innings that has put England to the sword.

Keep ReadingShow less