Misri: India, UK to Strengthen Collaboration Across Sectors

Mumbai: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Thursday announced that India and the United Kingdom will strengthen collaboration across multiple sectors, including defence, education, health, climate change, investment and trade, technology, and innovation in the coming days. He noted that the development is expected to reduce import duties and further enhance bilateral ties.

As part of the expanded partnership, nine UK universities are set to establish campuses in India. Proposed locations include Mumbai, Gujarat’s GIFT City, Gurgaon in Haryana, and Bengaluru in Karnataka.

Mr. Misri also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer held discussions on the activities of Khalistani extremists. He added that Prime Minister Modi emphasized that radicalism and extremism have no place in a democratic society.

In response to a query on whether the issue of Khalistani extremism was discussed during the UK Prime Minister’s visit, the Foreign Secretary noted that the activities of Khalistani extremists were previously discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK in July 2025 and the issue was flagged again in today’s discussions. “The Prime Minister emphasised that radicalism and violent extremism have no place in democratic societies. Such elements should not be allowed to misuse the freedoms provided by democracies. There is a need to act against them within the legal frameworks available to both sides,” he said.

Mr. Misri also stated that Prime Minister Modi expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences over the recent attack in Manchester, as well as the attack on a synagogue that occurred in the UK a few days ago.

Referring to the discussion on increasing collaboration in the education sector, Mr. Misri said, “There are nine UK universities set to establish campuses in India. Southampton University will be located in Gurugram. Queen’s University Belfast, Coventry University, and the University of Surrey will be based in GIFT City. The University of Aberdeen and the University of York will both open campuses in Mumbai. The University of Liverpool and Lancaster University will be located in Bengaluru. A formal list of these universities and their respective locations will be published on our website shortly.”