UK Foreign Secretary in India to drive forward Vision 2035 partnership

• Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will meet External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to review delivery under Vision 2035
• She will emphasise shared interests with India on freedom of navigation
• Partnership with India has reached new heights since PM Modi and PM Starmer unveiled their strategic direction and vision for deeper cooperation

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper arrives in India on her first official visit to the country. She will meet External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar tomorrow (4 June) where both ministers will discuss closer collaboration between the UK and India to minimise economic shocks from ongoing conflicts, preserve global stability, and ensure freedom of navigation.

The Foreign Secretary’s trip sets an ambitious path for engagement with India, a top priority partner for the UK. It builds on the visit by Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle earlier this week to bring the landmark UK-India Free Trade Agreement into force as soon as possible.

Together with Dr Jaishankar, the Foreign Secretary will undertake a formal review of delivery under the UK-India Vision 2035 to date, highlighting the UK’s priorities for the year ahead across economic growth, technology and innovation, defence and security, climate and education. The annual review ensures our partnership remains dynamic, aligned, and responsive to rapid global change.

Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, said

The UK-India partnership is a bulwark against rising global uncertainty. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper’s visit this week, her first visit in the role, is another important opportunity to build on that partnership.

Since our Prime Ministers unveiled their shared vision for a modern UK-India partnership last year, the UK has been driving forward collaboration with India as a priority.

From the Technology Security Initiative where we are shaping the technologies of tomorrow to our landmark trade deal that will help make trade cheaper, quicker and easier – the UK-India partnership is delivering where it matters most to people in both countries.

In New Delhi, the Foreign Secretary will welcome new Indian investment into the Technology Security Initiative throughout her programme. She will interact with AI health tech entrepreneurs and join a special programme at the British Council to hear how UK-India partnerships on education and growth are delivering real results on shared priorities.

Further information

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year to unveil Vision 2035, a shared ambition for how the UK and India partner together to unlock the huge potential of this partnership.
• The UK and India signed a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in July 2025, marking a new era of growth for two of the world’s largest and most innovative economies. The deal could increase yearly bilateral trade by £25.5 billion, and boost GDP by nearly £5 billion each in the long run for both countries.
• The UK and India have deepened our defence cooperation through a new 10-year Defence Industrial Partnership, high-level military engagements, and enhanced coordination on counterterrorism, serious organised crime, and emerging threats.
• Two UK universities have opened international branch campuses in India – the University of Southampton (Delhi National Capital Region) and Queens University Belfast (GIFT City in Gujarat) and seven more UK universities have approval to open in 2026-27, boosting the UK’s soft power and driving growth into the UK economy. These are University of York, University of Aberdeen, University of Bristol, University of Liverpool, University of Lancaster, University of Surrey, and Birkbeck – University of London. These new campuses complement wider higher education collaboration on UK-India joint and dual degrees and joint research and innovation.

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