NEW DELHI: Despite the change in political leadership in London, free trade talks are continuing and are likely to end positively. The UK is also strongly supporting a UNSC seat for India.

The newly elected Keir Starmer government in the United Kingdom and New Delhi are working on multiple issues behind the scenes that could have significant implications for both countries in future.

The two governments are already in advanced talks for a free trade agreement, which was expected to be concluded before the April-May general elections in India. Official sources aware of the development said that despite the change in political leadership in London, the talks are continuing from where they were left, and a conclusion on the agreement is not ruled out in the coming days.

Britain is regularly discussing the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), also known as the Chagos Archipelago, with India at very high levels. The Chagos Archipelago is a UK Overseas Territory in the Indian Ocean. It was once a part of Mauritius but was separated before Mauritius gained independence from the UK in 1968. The archipelago includes Diego Garcia, which now hosts a key US military base. The creation of this base led to the forced removal of the Chagossian people, who have been fighting to return home ever since. It consists of 58 islands covering around 640,000 square km of ocean. The islands have a land area of 60 square km and 698 km of coastline. Diego Garcia, the largest and most southerly island, is 44 square km in area.

Mauritius has also been in talks with the UK and is pursuing legal action to regain control over the Chagos Archipelago. In 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the UK acted unlawfully in creating the BIOT, violating a 1960 UN declaration against breaking up colonies before granting independence. The ICJ’s opinion stated that the UK should return control of the archipelago to Mauritius.

The concern among British, Indian, and American officials is that once Chagos is handed over to Mauritius, China is likely to gain control over the island and use it for military and intelligence-gathering purposes given Beijing’s close and strategic ties with Port Louis.

Sources said that the issue was discussed between former British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra at the Munich Security Conference on 16 February, given India’s concern over the likely repercussions of Chinese interference in Chagos.

Similarly, the UK has been strongly advocating for reforming the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which includes calling for India to have a permanent seat at the UNSC, along with permanent representation for Africa, as well as permanent seats for Germany, Japan, and Brazil.

London and Delhi-based officials said the UK is not limiting itself to just statements in support of India but has been raising it officially at multiple levels, including during the intergovernmental negotiations on UNSC reform at the UN General Assembly held earlier this year.

Similarly, India is among the three countries—along with Japan and Korea—with which Britain is actively working to not only strengthen its supply chain resilience but also help India’s semiconductor industry reduce its reliance on China.

As part of this initiative, the UK-India Technology Security Initiative (TSI) was launched on 25 July to enhance collaboration between the two countries in key technological fields, including semiconductors, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. The launch was announced during UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s visit, following discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

The TSI is seen as a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations, focusing on mutual strengths and strategic interests, particularly in the semiconductor sector. It will support academic and industrial R&D in chip design, compound semiconductors, and advanced packaging, with an emphasis on applications critical to telecommunications and cybersecurity. A central goal is to enhance the resilience of semiconductor supply chains by addressing challenges related to raw materials, components, and device security, ensuring a stable and secure manufacturing environment.

Workforce development is another key aspect, with exchange programs aimed at equipping professionals with advanced skills necessary for the semiconductor industry, preparing them for future demands in this rapidly evolving sector.

The partnership will be coordinated by the National Security Advisors of both countries, with progress reviewed biannually to ensure alignment with the evolving technological landscape and geopolitical considerations. This comprehensive approach seeks to leverage the unique strengths of the UK and India to create a robust semiconductor ecosystem that supports their technological and economic aspirations.

Sources said that while the issue of Khalistani operative and British citizen Jagtar Singh Johal, who is imprisoned in India, remains unresolved and is being regularly raised by London (most recently on 24 July when British Foreign Secretary David Lammy discussed it with Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar in Delhi), India’s concerns regarding British security agencies not doing enough to tackle Khalistani terrorists operating from Britain have been taken up very seriously by concerned offices in London and things have improved considerably in the last few months.

Agencies