PM Keir Starmer Gets 'Living Bridge' Honour for Role in Concluding India-UK FTA

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer received the 'Living Bridge' honour on Monday for his pivotal role in fostering stronger India-UK ties and finalising the long-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two nations. The award, presented at a ceremony in the House of Lords complex, was accepted on Starmer's behalf by Seema Malhotra, the Indian-origin Minister for the Indo-Pacific in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Organised annually by the UK-based India Business Group (IBG), the awards recognise contributions to bilateral relations across business, education, and trade sectors.

The India-UK FTA, formally the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), marks a landmark in post-Brexit diplomacy, aiming to double bilateral trade from around USD 40 billion to USD 120 billion by 2030. Negotiations, initiated in 2022 under the previous Conservative government, gained momentum under Starmer's Labour administration, concluding after 14 rounds amid challenges like tariff disputes and agricultural sensitivities.

Once ratified by the UK Parliament—expected by mid-2026—the deal will eliminate tariffs on 90% of goods, enhance services access, and promote investments in technology, renewables, and pharmaceuticals. A Downing Street spokesperson highlighted the FTA's potential to provide businesses with "confidence and security", leveraging India's rapid growth and the economies' complementary strengths.

Joining Starmer among recipients were the New Delhi-based GMR Group for infrastructure collaborations, British Indian businessman G.P. Hinduja for cross-border investments, KPMG UK chair Bina Mehta for professional services linkages, and the University of Southampton for educational exchanges. Now in its fourth year, the Living Bridge Awards spotlight entities embodying the "special friendship" coined by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2025 state visit to the UK. Lord Kamlesh Patel, IBG chair and awards judge, praised the honourees for driving shared prosperity and offering insights into emerging opportunities.

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Harjinder Kang, the UK’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia, noted that the FTA's implementation will "unlock significant boosts to trade and investment", accelerating growth in both nations. IBG CEO Amarjit Singh, the awards' founder, emphasised the platform's role in empowering future UK-India business leaders amid this "historic new era of trade".

As the agreement awaits ratification, the honour underscores renewed optimism for deeper economic integration, potentially reshaping global supply chains and cultural exchanges between the former colony and its erstwhile ruler.

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