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The Prime Minister has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

The prime minister remarked 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 US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to India, Starmer stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Addressed

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time award Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister suggested that time was required to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his tour to India – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The visit signifies the passing of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our people are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he left Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who developed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and identification.

He hinted that the UK was considering broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would in time look at connecting 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 retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification helps individuals with procedures that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer admitted that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since Starmer announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens 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 said 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. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how India was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that end," he commented. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had raised the situation of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

However, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as raising it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the UK has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is considered a threat.

Starmer clarified the United Kingdom was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to cooperate where we are able, confront where we must, and this has been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."