(MENAFN- Live Mint) Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 9 October that India is opening up its nuclear power sector to private participation, describing it as a new opportunity to enhance cooperation between India and the United Kingdom.

“I am pleased to announce that we are opening up the nuclear power sector to the private sector, and all this has created opportunities to take India-UK cooperation to new heights. I invite you to join India on this development journey,” PM Modi said, speaking at the India-UK CEO Forum in Mumbai.

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Starmer's visit to India came over two months after the two countries signed a landmark free trade pact that will increase market access, cut tariffs and is expected to result in doubling bilateral trade by 2030 .

Earlier, Modi and Starmer met at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai and held talks to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as outlined in the 'Vision 2035' roadmap.

This is the third meeting between the two leaders since Starmer became British PM in July 2024. The first two meetings were held at Chequers in Buckinghamshire in July this year and on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro last November.

Emphasising the government's focus on infrastructure, Prime Minister Modi said at the CEO summit that infrastructure development is a priority for us.“We are investing in next-generation physical infrastructure. We are rapidly progressing towards the target of 500 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030... Let India and the UK set global benchmarks together,” he said.

Later in the day, the two leaders attended the India-UK CEO Forum and the Global Fintech Fest 2025.

Connecting the focus on infrastructure and reforms, PM Modi highlighted the broad scope of ongoing changes in India's economy. He said,“Today, extensive reforms are underway in the Indian economy. There is a strong focus on improving the ease of doing business while reducing compliance.”

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Modi also praised the recent tax reform aimed at boosting growth, stating,“Recently, we announced GST reform. This will give new impetus to the growth story of our middle class and MSMEs and will also expand opportunities for all of you.”

(With agency inputs)

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