UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Seema Malhotra, is currently undertaking her first official visit to India since assuming the role, focusing on advancing the recently signed landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two nations. The FTA is projected to deliver significant economic benefits, including an annual boost of £4.8 billion to the UK's GDP, a £2.2 billion increase in wages, and a surge in bilateral trade amounting to £25.5 billion. The visit builds on the momentum generated by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent trade mission to the subcontinent, reports The WP Times with reference to the British Deputy High Commission Bengaluru and British Deputy High Commission Chennai.
The Minister is scheduled to meet with successful British companies operating in Chennai and Bengaluru—including key players like Tesco, Revolut, and BT—to assess how the new UK-India FTA is facilitating their growth and encouraging reciprocal investment back into the UK. Minister Malhotra, who is of Indian descent, expressed her delight at visiting India so early in her tenure, stating that it reflects the country's immense importance to the UK and underscores a transformative year in UK-India relations, rooted in the joint UK-India Vision 2035.
During her visit to Bengaluru, Minister Malhotra will officially confirm the reinstatement of the British Council’s Women in STEM Scholarship programme for South Asia and India, following a one-year hiatus. The scheme, which will allocate 10 new scholarships this year worth £400,000, offers full funding for one-year master’s degrees at leading UK universities. The funding, currently valued at a minimum of £40,000 per scholarship, covers tuition, living costs, travel, and health insurance. Applications for the 2026–27 academic year are set to open in January.
In her bilateral engagements, the Minister will meet with key Karnataka State officials, including Industries Minister M. B. Patil and Higher Education Minister Dr. M. C. Sudhakar, to discuss collaboration in advanced manufacturing, research, and skills development. She will also hold talks with Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce, Dr. T. R. B. Rajaa, to explore opportunities in advanced manufacturing, green technologies, and innovation-driven investments, alongside skill development for future industries.
A significant focus of the three-day trip is the joint effort to combat illegal migration and exploitation. In Chennai, the Minister is expected to launch the expansion of the UK’s campaign to tackle visa fraud to the region of Tamil Nadu, following a successful pilot campaign already running in the Punjab region of Northern India. This initiative aims to protect Indian families from exploitation by fraudulent agents and curb the number of individuals travelling to Britain on fake visas. The new campaign includes targeted outreach in high-risk areas and the introduction of a Tamil-language WhatsApp chatbot designed to help Indian nationals identify visa scams. The overall trip underscores a revitalized UK-India partnership, poised to unlock new opportunities for trade, strengthen defence cooperation, and nurture global talent.
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