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The Prime Minister has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but avoided supporting the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

The prime minister commented that the first phase of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his business trip to India, the British leader stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Addressed

However, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should at this time award Donald Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister suggested that more time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The visit marks the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On the final day, Starmer signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the human connections between our people are truly special," Starmer said as he departed the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including meeting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, payments, and verification.

He hinted that the UK was considering expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it ensures that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to utilize facilities, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID helps people with procedures that often take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the British public, which have plummeted in public approval since he proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

Starmer confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Modi discussed how India was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on resolving this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

Starmer additionally said he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons currently detained overseas.

However, he did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Indeed, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is meeting the families in the near future, as well as raising it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to improve diplomatic ties between the UK and China.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen to explore other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with China was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to work together where we can, confront where we must, and that's been the ongoing approach of the government in relation to China."