MUMBAI, Oct 8: UK Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out relaxing visa rules for India, stating that the focus of the UK's engagement with India is on business, investment, and job creation rather than visa policies. His comments came ahead of his arrival in Mumbai to promote the benefits of a recent trade agreement between the two countries.

Sir Keir is leading a delegation of over 100 entrepreneurs, cultural leaders, and university officials, aiming to strengthen UK-India trade relations and boost the UK's sluggish economic growth. He emphasized the "massive opportunities" for improving cultural and commercial ties but firmly stated that there were no plans to ease visa restrictions for Indian workers or students.

"The issue is not about visas," Sir Keir said. "It's about business-to-business engagement, investment, jobs, and prosperity coming into the United Kingdom."

The UK signed a trade deal with India in July after years of negotiations. The agreement includes provisions to make UK exports, such as cars and whisky, cheaper for Indian consumers, while Indian textiles and jewellery will see lower tariffs in the UK. The deal also grants a three-year exemption from social security payments for Indian employees working in the UK on short-term visas, but there have been no broader changes to UK immigration policy.

Despite this, Sir Keir insisted there were no plans to introduce new visa routes to India. He emphasized that the Labour government's policy was focused on reducing immigration levels, citing recent party conference announcements on tightening settlement rules.

While en route to India, Sir Keir told reporters that visas "played no part" in the trade deal with India and confirmed that the situation would remain unchanged. Responding to questions about whether the UK might seek to attract tech entrepreneurs in light of changes to the US H-1B visa program, Sir Keir reaffirmed the UK’s desire to attract top global talent but reiterated there were no new visa routes planned for India.

In addition to the trade delegation, UK businesses like British Airways have announced new initiatives in India, including a third daily flight between Delhi and Heathrow starting next year. Manchester Airport also revealed plans for a new direct route to Delhi.

During the two-day visit, Sir Keir is expected to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had previously sent "warm birthday greetings" to Russian President Vladimir Putin on social media. When asked about the message, Sir Keir confirmed that he had not sent birthday wishes to Putin and had no plans to do so.

As for India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, Sir Keir refrained from criticizing Modi directly but focused UK efforts on addressing Russia’s "shadow fleet" of unregulated oil tankers, which are used to transport Russian oil despite international sanctions.

The visit comes as the UK looks to bolster its ties with India through trade, business, and strategic partnerships, while navigating ongoing global challenges.