Modi and Starmer discuss trade, defence, and Indo-Pacific stability
In a significant diplomatic endorsement, United Kingdom Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday voiced strong support for India’s long-standing demand for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Speaking alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi after bilateral talks in Mumbai, Starmer said India “deserves its rightful place” in the global body’s decision-making council.
“A permanent seat for India on the UN Security Council is long overdue. India should get its rightful place in shaping decisions that affect the world,” Starmer said, highlighting the growing consensus among major global powers for UN reform.
India’s push for a permanent UNSC seat has received widespread international backing in recent years, including from the United States under former President Joe Biden, as well as France, Germany, Japan, Brazil, and the African Union. Russia has also voiced support, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last month calling for greater representation from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
At present, the UNSC has five permanent members—the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France—while 10 non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms. China remains the only Asian nation with a permanent seat, a point of friction for India given their complex bilateral relationship.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has repeatedly stressed the need for institutional reform to create a more “equitable and representative global order.” In October last year, addressing a BRICS summit in Russia’s Kazan, he reiterated that outdated mechanisms like the UNSC must evolve to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has acknowledged India’s case but noted that any structural change requires consensus among member nations.
Beyond the UNSC issue, Thursday’s meeting between Modi and Starmer also focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation across trade, defence, technology, and culture. Starmer praised India’s “remarkable growth story,” describing the partnership as a model of economic and strategic alignment.
The talks follow the signing of a landmark trade agreement in July, under which India will reduce tariffs on British goods such as whisky, cosmetics, and medical devices, while the UK will cut duties on Indian exports, including textiles, footwear, and food products.
India and the UK—respectively the world’s fifth- and sixth-largest economies—currently enjoy bilateral trade worth over $54.8 billion, supporting more than 600,000 jobs across both nations.
Prime Minister Modi called the UK a “natural partner,” stressing that both countries are building “a crucial foundation for global stability and economic progress.” The leaders also discussed regional and global issues, including maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, and the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
“India supports all efforts aimed at achieving peace through dialogue and diplomacy,” Modi said.
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