David Lammy underscored the importance of the living bridge between the UK and India, comprising over 1.7 million people with Indian heritage that have made their home in the UK and make an exceptional contribution to British life, during his much anticipated first visit to India as Britain’s Foreign Secretary.
Keeping his word from his address at the India Global Forum (IGF) in London just days before Labour’s resounding election victory, Lammy landed in New Delhi within the first month of taking charge at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). His central message was the need to harness the living bridge and unlock the full potential of the new UK-India partnership to deliver prosperity for both nations and beyond. During high-level talks with members from the Indian government, including External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, the focus was on the “extraordinary contribution” of British Indians who “enrich the UK’s social and economic landscape and are the epitome of modern Britain”.
Lammy said: “India is the emerging superpower of the 21st century, the largest country in the world with 1.4 billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
“Our Free Trade Agreement negotiations is the floor not the ceiling of our ambitions to unlock our shared potential and deliver growth, from Bengaluru to Birmingham. We have shared interests on the green transition, new technologies, economic security and global security.
"I am traveling to India in my first month as Foreign Secretary because resetting our relationship with the Global South is a key part of how this government will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity at home."
Economic, domestic and global security was at the heart the first major ministerial visit of the new Labour government to India, during which Lammy is keen push for a reset of the UK-India partnership including through reinforcing the UK’s commitment to securing an FTA that will benefit both economies.
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He wants to galvanise support for accelerated action on the climate crisis with India as an indispensable partner – driving forward the clean energy transition and creating opportunities for British and Indian businesses. His discussions included partnering on Indian-led global initiatives to build clean power access, climate resilience in the global south and small island states.
His meetings covered discussions with business leaders to highlight how the UK and India are working together on shared ambitions such as cutting-edge science to encourage innovation, boost trade, and improve the livelihoods of working people in both countries.
From Delhi, Lammy left for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Laos where he is set to advance UK economic partnerships and unveil new cooperation on climate and health.
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