Modi and Starmer announce cooperation in defence training as Exercise Konkan showcases naval strength on the Western coast.
Mumbai
India and the United Kingdom are taking their strategic and defence partnership to the next level with an agreement on military training cooperation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced after talks with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, in Mumbai on Thursday.
Under the new pact, Indian Air Force flying instructors will serve as trainers in the UK’s Royal Air Force, marking a significant step in bilateral defence collaboration. The visit of Starmer’s trade delegation and the Mumbai deliberations coincided with Exercise Konkan — a major naval drill on India’s Western seaboard involving INS Vikrant and HMS Prince of Wales.
“The UK and India share common values and responsibilities in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and West Asia,” Modi said. He reiterated India’s stance on resolving conflicts like those in Ukraine and Gaza through “dialogue and diplomacy,” stressing enhanced maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
Starmer welcomed the U.S.-proposed Gaza peace deal, acknowledging mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the United States. “This agreement must now be implemented in full, with immediate access to humanitarian aid,” he said.
Modi concluded that in an era of global instability, the India-UK partnership serves as a vital anchor for international security and economic progress.
