UK PM Keir Starmer's first official India visit: missile deal, university campuses, critical minerals and JETCO reset
On 8–9 October 2025 UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer made his first official visit to India, holding talks with PM Modi in Mumbai on 9 October; outcomes included a government-to-government route for Lightweight Multirole Missiles, new UK university campuses and a reset of JETCO.
Summary
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid his first official visit to India on 8–9 October 2025, following PM Modi's UK visit of 23–24 July 2025 when the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was signed. On 9 October in Mumbai the two leaders held talks, addressed the Global Fintech Fest and welcomed the meeting of the India–UK CEO Forum. They agreed to proceed government-to-government on an initial supply of Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems for India's air defence, reset the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) to support CETA, and welcomed Phase II of the UK-India Critical Minerals Supply Chain Observatory with a new satellite campus at IIT-ISM Dhanbad. Lancaster University received a Letter of Intent for a Bengaluru campus and the University of Surrey in-principle approval for GIFT City, as part of nine UK universities opening campuses in India; Southampton has already admitted its first students in Gurugram. They also set up an Offshore Wind Taskforce and an India–UK Joint Centre for AI.
Key facts
- Visit
- 8–9 Oct 2025 — Starmer's first official visit; talks in Mumbai
- Defence
- G2G route for Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems
- Trade
- JETCO reset to support CETA (signed July 2025)
- Critical minerals
- Observatory Phase II; satellite campus at IIT-ISM Dhanbad
- Education
- Lancaster — Bengaluru (LoI); Surrey — GIFT City (in-principle); 9 UK campuses
- Other
- Offshore Wind Taskforce; India–UK Joint Centre for AI
Practice MCQs 3 questions
During UK PM Keir Starmer's October 2025 visit, which UK university received in-principle approval to open a campus in GIFT City?
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Correct answer: B — University of Surrey
PIB (list of outcomes): in-principle approval was given for opening a campus of the University of Surrey in GIFT City; Lancaster University received an LoI for Bengaluru.
India and the UK agreed in October 2025 to proceed via the government-to-government route on an initial supply of which missile system?
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Correct answer: D — Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM)
PIB (joint statement): both leaders announced agreement to proceed via the government-to-government route on an initial supply of Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems to support India's air defence.
Consider the following statements about UK PM Keir Starmer's visit to India (October 2025): 1. Phase II of the UK-India Critical Minerals Supply Chain Observatory includes a new satellite campus at IIT-ISM Dhanbad. 2. It was Starmer's second official visit to India as Prime Minister. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. PIB: Phase II of the Observatory will establish a new satellite campus at IIT-ISM Dhanbad; the joint statement says this was Prime Minister Starmer's first official visit to India.