London: Keir Starmer’s first visit to India as British Prime Minister is expected in early October and will have a sharp focus on the India-UK tech partnership when he is scheduled to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2025 in Mumbai, officials indicated Tuesday.
GFF 2025, organised by the Payments Council of India (PCI), the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC), is billed as the world’s largest fintech conference to be held at the Jio World Centre between October 7 and 9.
It will make Mumbai the focal point of Starmer’s visit, just over two months after Modi’s visit to Britain to sign off on the bilateral Free Trade Agreement, which is undergoing a parliamentary ratification process in the UK.
The presence of two visionary world leaders, Prime Ministers Modi and Starmer, will galvanise the Global Fintech Fest into a thought leadership platform to map a sustainable path for equitable progress for the entire humanity, and to reshape finance to be more inclusive, agile, and resilient, said Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Axilor Ventures and Chair of the GFF 2025 Advisory Council.
“The UK and India share one of the most dynamic economic relationships in the world. Financial services and technology are cornerstones of this association, with significant opportunities for a synergy between London’s global leadership in fintech exports and regulatory innovation and India’s unmatched digital public infrastructure and a billion-plus consumer base,” he said.
While 10 Downing Street is yet to confirm the contours of the visit, a possible schedule of engagements in Bengaluru is also likely during the visit by Starmer soon after he wraps up the Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool.
The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), as the FTA is officially known, was clinched during Modi’s visit to the UK July 24, targets doubling of bilateral trade to USD 120 billion by 2030.
“The leaders also discussed the importance of the UK-India Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership, which will see closer collaboration on trade, defence, security, technology and education – underscored by the close and historic relationship between the two countries,” a Downing Street spokesperson had said in a readout of the Modi-Starmer talks at his Chequers country residence at the time.
“They looked forward to seeing one another soon,” the spokesperson added, with reference to Modi’s invitation for Starmer to visit India.
In July, the India-UK Tech Security Initiative (TSI), which aims to enhance bilateral collaboration in critical and emerging technologies such as telecoms, AI, quantum computing, biotechnology and critical minerals, also hit the one-year mark.
“This year, our theme looks beyond artificial intelligence (AI) to highlight augmented intelligence where human insight blends with the power of technology. The conversations at GFF 2025 will focus on creating solutions that are responsible, inclusive and impactful,” shared Sohini Rajola, Executive Director for Growth at NPCI and member of the GFF 2025 Advisory Council.
“More importantly, it is about driving collaboration, strengthening financial infrastructure and setting the course for sustainable growth and innovation across the ecosystem,” she said.
GFF 2025 is supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology; the Department of Economic Affairs and the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance; the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry; New, Emerging and Strategic Technology Division, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA); the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); the Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI); the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI); and the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
Policymakers, central bankers, industry captains, investors, and academics will converge to deliberate on leveraging fintech to build a better world, in alignment with the overarching theme of GFF 2025: ‘Empowering finance for a better world powered by AI’.
