New Delhi: On July 24, 2025, in London, the Prime Ministers of India and the United Kingdom, Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer, endorsed the transformative India-UK Vision 2035, a strategic roadmap designed to guide bilateral relations until 2035. Replacing the earlier Roadmap 2030, this ambitious vision outlines a BRISK partnership—rooted in Business, Research, Innovation, Science, Technology, and Knowledge—aimed at fostering mutual growth, prosperity, and global leadership. The agreement, unveiled alongside the signing of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), underscores the commitment of both nations to deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2021, and navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing global landscape.
Background and Significance of India-UK Vision 2035
The India-UK relationship is grounded in deep historical, cultural, and political ties, which have evolved into a multifaceted bilateral engagement. Since elevating their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021, the two nations have collaborated extensively across trade, health, climate, and security. The India-UK Vision 2035 builds on this foundation, offering a structured, time-bound framework to drive cooperation across key sectors. This roadmap positions both countries as champions of a rules-based international order, enhances economic growth, strengthens strategic autonomy, promotes climate action, and fosters people-centric development.
The significance of Vision 2035 lies in its holistic approach, addressing global challenges such as geopolitical shifts, supply chain disruptions, and climate change. By setting clear strategic goals and milestones, the vision ensures sustained collaboration, with annual reviews by India’s External Affairs Minister and the UK Foreign Secretary to track progress. The partnership is designed to deliver transformative outcomes, creating jobs, boosting innovation, and promoting a fair and sustainable global order.
Key Pillars of India-UK Vision 2035
The India-UK Vision 2035 is structured around five core pillars: Trade and Economic Growth, Technology and Innovation, Defence and Security, Climate and Clean Energy, and Education and People-to-People Ties. Each pillar is designed to reinforce the others, creating a synergistic partnership that delivers tangible benefits for both nations.
1. Trade and Economic Growth
Bilateral trade between India and the UK has grown significantly, reaching £39.7 billion, with India holding a trade surplus driven by £23.1 billion in exports. The signing of the CETA marks a milestone, boosting economic growth, job creation, and prosperity in both countries. The vision also commits to negotiating a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) to further enhance investment flows, with the UK being the sixth-largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in India.
To drive sustainable growth, both nations will:
- Expand bilateral trade in goods and services through the CETA, aiming for ambitious trade flows.
- Strengthen institutional mechanisms like the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), and Financial Markets Dialogue (FMD) to advance cooperation in macroeconomic policy, financial regulation, and investment.
- Foster business-to-business ties by providing platforms for business leaders to connect regularly.
- Enhance capital markets connectivity, focusing on insurance, pensions, and asset management.
- Build on initiatives like the India-UK Financial Partnership (IUKFP) and UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge (UKIIFB) to promote innovation, green finance, and infrastructure investment.
- Promote secure economic growth through dialogues on supply chain resilience in key industrial sectors.
- Deepen ties between legal professions via the UK-India Legal Profession Committee.
- Improve connectivity by expanding air travel routes and renewing the UK-India Air Services Agreement.
- Combat illicit finance and strengthen international tax cooperation through leadership in multilateral forums.
- Mobilize investments through the UK’s Development Finance Institution, British International Investment (BII), and the UK-India Development Capital Investment Partnership, focusing on green enterprises, tech startups, and climate adaptation.
- Support trilateral development cooperation in areas like digital public infrastructure and sustainable innovation.
- Promote growth in creative and cultural industries through initiatives like the India-UK ‘Creative Economy Weeks’ and the Programme of Culture Co-operation Agreement.
2. Technology and Innovation
The vision prioritizes innovation-led growth, leveraging the complementary strengths of India and the UK to shape the technologies of the future. Building on the UK-India Technology Security Initiative (TSI), Science and Innovation Council, and Health and Lifesciences partnership, both nations will deepen collaboration in critical and emerging technologies.
Key initiatives include:
- Establishing the UK-India Research & Innovation Corridor to unite research ecosystems, including catapults, innovation hubs, startups, and accelerators.
- Creating a UK-India Joint Centre for AI to promote trusted AI innovations and open-source solutions for businesses.
- Advancing next-generation telecommunications through joint research on secure-by-design connectivity and cyber resilience, with the establishment of an India-UK Connectivity Innovation Centre.
- Securing resilient critical mineral supply chains through a UK-India Joint Industry Guild on Critical Minerals, focusing on processing, R&D, recycling, and traceability.
- Unlocking the potential of biotechnology through partnerships in biomanufacturing, bio-based materials, and advanced biosciences, addressing health, clean energy, and agriculture.
- Driving innovation in semiconductors, quantum technologies, advanced materials, and cybersecurity through the TSI.
- Exploring collaboration in space research and commercial opportunities.
- Strengthening global health security through the Health and Life Sciences Joint Working Group, focusing on pandemic preparedness, digital health, and antimicrobial resistance.
- Facilitating strategic trade in high-end technologies through regular Strategic Export & Technology Cooperation Dialogues.
3. Defence and Security
The defence partnership is a cornerstone of Vision 2035, aimed at enhancing national security and fostering a safer international environment. The complementary strengths of India and the UK’s defence industries provide opportunities for collaboration, supported by joint exercises like Exercise Konkan 2023 (Navy), Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023 (Air Force), and Exercise Ajeya Warrior 2023 (Army).
Key commitments include:
- Adopting a 10-year Defence Industrial Roadmap, monitored by a senior official-level joint mechanism.
- Deepening collaboration in advanced technologies like the Electric Propulsion Capability Partnership (EPCP) and Jet Engine Advanced Core Technologies (JEACT).
- Upgrading the Foreign and Defence 2+2 dialogue to a higher level for strategic coordination.
- Enhancing maritime security through the Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (RMSCE) under the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI).
- Expanding military joint exercises and training opportunities, including positioning instructors in each other’s training institutions.
- Strengthening R&D in underwater systems and directed energy weapons, with collaboration involving academia.
- Condemning terrorism and enhancing cooperation to combat it, including countering radicalization, terrorist financing, and cross-border movement of terrorists.
- Protecting citizens from transnational organized crime, including cybercrime and illicit financial flows.
- Building cyber resilience through shared best practices and support for cybersecurity companies.
- Curbing irregular migration through the Migration and Mobility Partnership.
4. Climate and Clean Energy
The climate and clean energy pillar reflects a shared commitment to sustainable development and achieving net-zero goals. Collaboration will drive trade and investment in green goods, enhance green manufacturing, and support global climate leadership.
Key initiatives include:
- Mobilizing affordable climate finance by reforming global financial systems and multilateral development banks (MDBs).
- Advancing energy security through collaboration on energy storage, grid transformation, offshore wind, and small modular reactors (SMRs) under an enhanced India-UK Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.
- Establishing taskforces like the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce and the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS).
- Promoting innovation in clean transport, hydrogen, batteries, and carbon capture through the Net Zero Innovation Partnership.
- Enhancing climate resilience through early warning systems, adaptation planning, and marine ecosystem protection.
- Collaborating on agroforestry and forest products traceability under the India-UK Forest Partnership.
- Strengthening global alliances like the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG).
5. Education and People-to-People Ties
Education and cultural exchange are the “golden thread” of the India-UK partnership, supporting India’s National Education Policy 2020 and the Programme of Cultural Cooperation signed in May 2025. The vision aims to create a skilled, future-ready talent pool.
Key initiatives include:
- Establishing an Annual Ministerial India-UK Education Dialogue to drive collaboration.
- Encouraging UK university campuses in India and transnational education partnerships for joint and dual degrees.
- Launching the India-UK Green Skills Partnership to bridge skill gaps and promote climate-linked job creation.
- Continuing the mutual recognition of qualifications under an existing MoU.
- Promoting youth exchanges through schemes like the Young Professionals Scheme and Study India Programme.
Multilateral Cooperation and Global Leadership
India and the UK reaffirm their commitment to a rules-based international order and multilateral reform. Both nations will advocate for reforms in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), World Trade Organization (WTO), World Health Organization (WHO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank to reflect contemporary global realities. This includes supporting WTO provisions for special and differential treatment for developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs).
Implementation and Oversight
The India-UK Vision 2035 will be anchored by sustained high-level political engagement, with regular meetings between the Prime Ministers to provide strategic direction. Annual reviews by India’s External Affairs Minister and the UK Foreign Secretary will ensure the partnership remains dynamic and aligned with shared interests. Focused ministerial mechanisms will address cross-sectoral issues in technology, trade, investment, and finance.
Conclusion
The India-UK Vision 2035 is a bold and comprehensive roadmap that sets the stage for a transformative partnership over the next decade. By leveraging the strengths of both nations, the vision aims to deliver economic growth, technological innovation, strategic security, climate resilience, and people-centric development. With concrete commitments and robust oversight mechanisms, India and the UK are poised to navigate global challenges and build a BRISK partnership that shapes a prosperous, secure, and sustainable future
FAQs
1. What is the India-UK Vision 2035?
The India-UK Vision 2035 is a strategic roadmap endorsed on July 24, 2025, by the Prime Ministers of India and the UK, Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer, to guide bilateral relations until 2035. Replacing the Roadmap 2030, it outlines a BRISK partnership (Business, Research, Innovation, Science, Technology, and Knowledge) focusing on trade, technology, defence, climate, and education to foster mutual growth, prosperity, and global leadership.
2. What are the key pillars of the India-UK Vision 2035?
The vision is built on five pillars:
Education and People-to-People Ties: Encouraging UK university campuses in India and youth exchanges via the Young Professionals Scheme.
Trade and Economic Growth: Enhancing bilateral trade (£39.7 billion, with India’s exports at £23.1 billion) through the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT).
Technology and Innovation: Establishing initiatives like the UK-India Research & Innovation Corridor and a Joint AI Centre.
Defence and Security: Advancing cooperation through a 10-year Defence Industrial Roadmap and joint exercises like Konkan 2023.
Climate and Clean Energy: Promoting green finance, offshore wind, and alliances like the International Solar Alliance.
3. How will the India-UK Vision 2035 impact trade and investment?
The vision aims to boost bilateral trade and investment through the CETA, which supports job creation and economic growth. It includes mechanisms like the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) and Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) to advance macroeconomic policy and financial regulation. The UK, as India’s sixth-largest FDI source, will further strengthen investment ties through initiatives like the UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge and British International Investment (BII).
4. What measures are included for climate and clean energy cooperation?
The vision prioritizes sustainable development by mobilizing climate finance, advancing energy storage, grid transformation, and offshore wind through taskforces like the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce. It supports civil nuclear collaboration, carbon credit trading, and global alliances like the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure to achieve net-zero goals and enhance climate resilience.
5. How will the vision strengthen education and cultural ties?
The vision fosters educational collaboration through an Annual Ministerial India-UK Education Dialogue, encouraging UK university campuses in India and transnational degree programs. The India-UK Green Skills Partnership will bridge skill gaps, while schemes like the Young Professionals Scheme and Study India Programme will enhance youth exchanges. Cultural cooperation will be advanced through initiatives like the India-UK ‘Creative Economy Weeks’ and the Programme of Culture Co-operation.
