Mumbai: The October 8–9 trip, announced by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday, comes as the two nations accelerate momentum on a new era of partnership.

During the visit, both leaders will address the Global Fintech Fest 2025 in Mumbai on October 9, the world’s largest fintech gathering, expected to draw more than 100,000 participants. The summit, themed “Empowering Finance for a Better World Powered by AI,” will spotlight innovations such as India’s Unified Payments Interface, which now processes around 20 billion transactions each month.

The talks will advance the recently signed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) of July 2025, a landmark deal aimed at doubling bilateral trade to $120 billion by 2030. Under the pact, tariffs are being removed on 99% of Indian exports to the UK, while India is reducing duties on 90% of British goods, including sharp cuts on UK whisky (from 150% to 40%) and automobiles (from over 100% to 10%).

Technology will be a centerpiece of discussions, with a special emphasis on quantum computing collaboration. A flagship project between Imperial College London and IIT Bombay is developing climate-resilient crops using quantum-enhanced agricultural technology, part of the wider India-UK Technology Security Initiative. This framework spans seven critical sectors: telecommunications, critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, biotechnology, and advanced materials.