Fintech collaboration will define next phase of India-U.K. partnership: British PM Starmer at GFF 2025

The Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) provides the foundation for the U.K. to be India’s number one partner of choice for finance and innovation, said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Mumbai on Thursday. He emphasised that fintech collaboration would define the next phase of the India-U.K. partnership. 

“We are natural partners in fintech… Our trade agreement provides the foundation for the U.K. to be India’s number one partner of choice for finance and innovation,” Starmer said during his address at the 6th Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2025.

Hailing the growing partnership between India and the U.K., Starmer described the trade deal as marking a new era of opportunity and shared ambition. “It was a deal that many people said couldn’t happen,” Starmer said during his address at the 6th Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2025. “But we struck it together to raise living standards in both our nations and to create opportunities for everyone—from car manufacturers in Britain to fintech innovators in India.”

The signing of CETA in July was a landmark moment, he reiterated, adding, “It is the biggest trade deal the UK has done since leaving the European Union”. The agreement will add billions of pounds to Britain’s GDP and hundreds of billions of rupees to India’s, he said. “It’s also the most ambitious trade deal India has ever signed, and a huge statement about our shared belief in the power of partnership.”

The U.K. PM arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday with a 126-member delegation, which he described as the biggest British business delegation to India in over a decade. The energy and vibrancy of Mumbai reflected the incredible potential of the India-U.K. partnership, he said at GFF.

He also lauded India’s young population and entrepreneurial spirit. Combining Indian innovation with British creativity and institutions creates an incredible combination of a real economic powerhouse, the U.K. PM said. 

Highlighting his nation’s economic revival, Starmer said, “We’ve delivered the highest growth in the G7 in the first half of 2025 and attracted record investments.” He pointed out that the U.K. was streamlining regulations, boosting skills, and investing in infrastructure like never before.