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The Prime Minister has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

Starmer commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and mediators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to India, the British leader stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time grant Donald Trump the coveted prize, the Prime Minister implied that more time was needed to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me above all," he stated at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During India Visit

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The trip marks the implementation of the countries' trade pact.

• The UK government has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a defence deal worth £350m for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"The shared history is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification System Examined

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and verification.

He hinted that the UK was considering broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can access your own funds, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is possible with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows residents here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification assists individuals with procedures that often take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the administration had to build public support for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity since he announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that accompany 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 affirmed.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how India was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be taken to that end," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held overseas.

But, Starmer did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise 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 relatives in the near future, as well as raising it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve relations between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a security risk.

Starmer said the UK was eager to explore other trading relationships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, confront where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."