Modi’s UK, Maldives visits to focus on trade, defense, and regional reset

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the United Kingdom on July 23–24, where a landmark India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA)—under negotiation for three years — will be signed. The deal will eliminate tariffs on 99% of Indian exports and boost UK market access for goods like whisky and automobiles.

Defense and innovation will be central to Modi’s meetings with British PM Keir Starmer and King Charles III. India and the UK are set to advance cooperation through military exchanges and projects under the Technology Security Initiative, focusing on AI, semiconductors, quantum tech, and more.

Modi will then visit the Maldives on July 25–26 as guest of honor at the country’s Independence Day celebrations. He will meet President Mohamed Muizzu and inaugurate India-supported development projects. The visit is seen as a key diplomatic step in mending recently strained ties, according to Indian news reports.
.
Modi’s UK visit will include outreach to the 1.8 million-strong Indian diaspora, amid tight security precautions due to potential protests.

Meanwhile, education ties are expanding, with the University of Southampton opening a campus in India and more UK institutions expected to follow.