Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Lord Ahmad: Strong UK-India ties ‘already making a real-world difference’

Visits to New Delhi, Jodhpur and Hyderabad reveal partnership potential, says Lord Ahmad

Lord Ahmad: Strong UK-India ties ‘already making a real-world difference’

I was born in South London, but like millions of British people, my family’s story embodies the “living bridge” that connects the UK and India.

My father moved to Glasgow with only £5 to his name. He worked hard, initially on the railways, studied hard to become an accountant and married my mother, who was born and spent her formative years in Jodhpur. Her father, Mir Attaullah Khan, had served as Treasurer in the Royal Court of the Maharaja.


Your families may have similar stories, and it is these bonds that help make the partnership between the UK and India so strong and so special.

In the almost 76 years since India’s independence, the UK-India relationship has evolved into a constructive and future-facing partnership of equals. We see the fruits of this partnership every day: in the food we eat, the languages we speak, the communities we live in – and the fact that we have the first ever Prime Minister of Indian heritage in No.10.

This week, as UK Foreign Minister of State, I have travelled to Jodhpur, Delhi and Hyderabad to celebrate how far we have come, and explore what more we can do together. I brought a message from our Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary that we want to deliver a ‘quantum leap’ in UK-India relations.

We are natural partners. We already have an ambitious joint ‘2030 Roadmap’ which sets out our shared priorities, and we are working to deliver on it and support India’s ambitious G20 presidency, as part of our enduring engagement with the wider Indo-Pacific.

Lord Ahmad inset 2 1 Lord Ahmad with India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi (Pic Credit: ANI)

Our engagement is not just about potential – it is already making a real-world difference. From our enhanced cooperation on climate change and health, to closer defence and security ties – which are vital to supporting stability and democracy in the Indo-Pacific and closer to home, as we continue to stand with Ukraine. We are also working hard to double trade between us by 2030, with Prime Ministers Sunak and [Narendra] Modi agreeing at this month’s G7 summit to work at pace to finalise an ambitious and mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement.

The UK and India are science, technology and innovation superpowers. Together we have saved and transformed the lives of billions of people and it has been a key objective of my visit to further strengthen our cooperation.

Since 2008, the UK and Indian Governments have committed over £400m to joint research and innovation projects. Health has been a major priority, including working together to tackle global threats like malaria and COVID 19.

The partnership between Oxford University, AstraZeneca and the Serum Institute of India enabled over a billion people in developed, lower and middle income countries to receive a COVID vaccination, saving lives and slowing the spread of the pandemic around the world.

In April, we signed a landmark Science and Innovation agreement that will enhance our joint work in key areas – from pandemic preparedness and Artificial Intelligence, to achieving Net Zero. This will not just shape the future of our relationship, but the future of our planet.

This week I met young Indian scientists and innovators working to overcome the greatest challenges we face.

In Delhi, I announced the winners of the UK India Health-Tech Bootcamp, which supports start-ups to develop health technologies of the future, and I launched a new employment scheme helping young people learn English.

In Hyderabad, I visited the world’s largest innovation campus. I also spoke to impressive alumni of our hugely successful Chevening scholarship programme for future leaders, who we had sponsored to study at the UK’s leading universities and are already making a big difference in their communities.

Lord Ahmed inset 1 Fort mehrangarh Copy The peer at Fort Mehrangarh in Jodhpur

In Jodhpur, I saw how our judicial cooperation is making a real difference and met members of the next generation of women leaders. I was proud to have visited my maternal ancestral home as the UK Minister for India and pleased that I was able to use some of my time to explore my own connections with the city, and the region’s rich history and communities. Over 70 years since the UK became our family home, the poignancy of the moment was something quite special.

All our ongoing cooperation epitomises the UK-India partnership: working and investing together for the benefit of all. The bonds between people and communities are the lifeblood of the relationship and I am proud to be a part of this vibrant and diverse “living bridge” that connects us.

The UK and India have so much to offer each other, not least the extraordinary ability of our people to shape the world of tomorrow through science, technology and innovation.

That is why the UK Government is investing in our partnership, because as Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘The future depends on what you do today’.

(Lord Ahmad is the Minister of state for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and UN)

More For You

Police officers

Police officers stand guard between an anti fascist group and Tommy Robinson supporters during an anti-immigration rally organised by British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, in London, Britain, September 13, 2025.

REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

UK defends France migrant returns deal after court blocks first removal

THE British government has defended its new migrant returns deal with France after a High Court ruling temporarily blocked the deportation of an Eritrean asylum seeker, marking an early legal setback to the scheme.

The 25-year-old man, who arrived in Britain on a small boat from France on August 12, was due to be placed on an Air France flight from Heathrow to Paris on Wednesday (17) morning. But on Tuesday (16), Judge Clive Sheldon granted an interim injunction, saying there was a “serious issue to be tried” over his claim to be a victim of trafficking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian surgeon sentenced to six years for sexual assault

Dr Amal Bose. (Photo: Lancashire Police)

Asian surgeon sentenced to six years for sexual assault

AN ASIAN senior heart surgeon, who abused his position to sexually assault female members of staff, has been jailed for six years.

Dr Amal Bose, from Lancaster, was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault against five colleagues at Blackpool Victoria Hospital between 2017 and 2022. He was cleared of two other charges.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi & Trump

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House on February 13, 2025.

Reuters

Trump greets Modi on 75th birthday, trade talks continue in Delhi

Highlights:

  • Both leaders reaffirm commitment to India-US partnership
  • Trade talks resume in New Delhi amid tariff tensions
  • India defends purchase of discounted Russian oil

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Tuesday called Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and greeted him ahead of his 75th birthday. The phone call sparked hopes of a reset in India-US ties, which had been under strain after Washington doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Donald Trump and Melania Trump

Donald Trump and Melania Trump exit Air Force One after arriving at London Stansted Airport for a state visit on September 16, 2025 in Stansted, Essex.

Getty Images

UK rolls out royal welcome as Trump begins second state visit

Highlights:

  • Trump begins his second state visit to the UK with a royal welcome at Windsor Castle
  • Prince William, Catherine, King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in ceremony
  • State banquet and trade talks with prime minister Keir Starmer scheduled
  • Protests and security operation mark visit amid political challenges

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump began his unprecedented second state visit to Britain on Wednesday with a lavish welcome from King Charles and the royal family at Windsor Castle.

Keep ReadingShow less
11th UK Gatka Championship

All winners received medals and trophies

UK Parliament

11th UK Gatka Championship ends with Welsh debut and £1,000 support for Gatka Akharas

Highlights:

  • The 11th UK National Gatka Championship was hosted near Cardiff, marking the first time in Wales.
  • Winners included Roop Kaur (girls), Navjot Singh (boys), and Gurdeep Singh (men’s).
  • Gatka Federation UK awarded £1,000 to each participating Akhara to support martial arts promotion.
  • Chief guests included MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation.

Gatka Championship marks Welsh debut

The 11th UK National Gatka Championship concluded on a high note near Cardiff, Wales, showcasing the traditional Sikh martial art with flair. Seven leading Gatka Akharas participated, thrilling spectators with their lightning-fast strikes, precision moves and elegant techniques.

Inauguration by global leaders

The tournament was inaugurated by Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation (WGF) and the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI). He was joined by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP, President of Gatka Federation UK, alongside other dignitaries including Jagbir Singh Jagga Chakar, President of Wales Kabaddi Club, and community leaders from the Haveli Hotel Pontyclun.

Keep ReadingShow less