Prime Minister Narendra Modi met King Charles III at Sandringham House during his two-day visit to the United Kingdom.
Modi presented the King with a tree to be planted this autumn, inspired by his environmental initiative ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’, which encourages people to plant a tree in tribute to their mothers.
The leaders discussed bilateral ties, with a focus on Ayurveda, Yoga, and Mission LIFE (Lifestyle For Environment) to promote sustainable living in the UK, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The meeting followed the signing of a historic India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) earlier in the day, marking the UK’s largest trade deal since Brexit. The agreement, expected to boost bilateral trade by $34 billion annually, was formalised by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds.
“Today marks a historic day in our relations,” Modi said, highlighting that Indian exports like textiles, footwear, gems, jewellery, and seafood will now enjoy better access to the UK market.
The FTA is projected to double bilateral trade to $120 billion by 2030 and remove tariffs on 99% of Indian exports while facilitating British exports such as whisky and automobiles to India.
