UK–India Ministers Discuss Vision 2035 and Indo-Pacific Cooperation in London

The meeting between Seema Malhotra, the UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, and Kirti Vardhan Singh, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, took place in London on 9 March 2026 on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting.

According to a post shared on the official X (Twitter) handle of UK in India, @UkinIndia, the ministers agreed to strengthen the UK–India partnership through the implementation of the jointly developed Vision 2035 roadmap and the recently signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with discussions also highlighting Vision 2035 and Indo-Pacific Cooperation as key areas of engagement.

During their bilateral discussion, the ministers exchanged views on cooperation within the Commonwealth and developments in the Indo-Pacific region. A press release issued by the High Commission of India in London stated that the discussions included areas such as the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and maritime security cooperation. The update also noted that both sides agreed to advance collaboration through the Vision 2035 framework and the FTA.

Vision 2035 and the UK–India FTA aim to expand bilateral trade.

Vision 2035 and the Trade Agreement

Vision 2035 serves as a ten-year roadmap launched in 2025 to deepen cooperation between India and the United Kingdom across sectors including technology, energy, education, and innovation.

The framework is designed to guide long-term engagement between the two countries and support expanded collaboration in economic and strategic areas.

Alongside this initiative, India and the United Kingdom signed a landmark Free Trade Agreement in 2025 aimed at strengthening bilateral economic ties and facilitating trade and investment flows.

The UK Department for Business and Trade estimates that the agreement could increase UK–India trade by about £25.5 billion annually in the long run, adding to current bilateral trade levels of over £40 billion per year.

UK–India maritime cooperation focuses on stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.

Indo-Pacific and Security Cooperation

In addition to economic cooperation, the meeting addressed regional security issues and developments in the Indo-Pacific.

The ministers discussed the importance of maintaining a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region and explored avenues for collaboration under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.

They also referred to plans related to a proposed Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence.

The discussions reflect the broader scope of UK–India engagement in the Indo-Pacific, including maritime security, regional stability, and cooperation within multilateral frameworks.