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The Prime Minister has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," but avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Relief to the Globe"

Starmer remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now award Trump the coveted award, Starmer suggested that time was required to know if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me above all," he stated at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During India Visit

The Prime Minister has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On the final day, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," he said as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who developed the widespread system used by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the UK was considering expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it ensures that you can access your own money, make payments so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital ID assists individuals with procedures that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to build public support for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity since Starmer proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer said he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how India was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

But, he did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he said. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is meeting the families in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a similar business-oriented trip to China in the coming year as part of a effort to improve relations between the UK and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide new proof that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the UK was keen to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, confront where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."