Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer celebrated the signing of the free trade agreement between the two countries by enjoying a cup of tea at Chequers. “Chai Pe Charcha with PM Keir Starmer at Chequers… brewing stronger India-UK ties,” PM Modi said in a post on X, where he also shared pictures of the leaders waiting for a cup of tea.
A man dressed in a kurta and a colourful Nehru-jacket can be seen pouring tea from a kettle in a paper cup labelled, ‘Masala Chai’.
Football is widely admired among India’s youth and several football clubs based in the UK are very popular in India.@Keir_Starmer pic.twitter.com/bigSLXNWX1
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2025
Earlier in the day, the India-UK Free Trade Agreement was signed and formalised, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK, where he met his counterpart Keir Starmer. The deal was signed by commerce minister Piyush Goyal and Jonathan Reynold, his British counterpart.
Apart from the tea break, the two leaders also interacted with players from the Buckinghamshire Street Cricket Hubs. PM Modi shared photos on X and wrote, “India and the UK are connected by a shared passion for cricket”, he also said, “Great to see sport fostering people-to-people ties between our nations.”
He said that a bat signed by the Indian cricket team which won the T20 World Cup had been gifted to the players.
Prime Ministers Modi and Starmer also viewed a Premier League trophy on display, with the former sharing photos on X. He wrote, “Football is widely admired among India’s youth and several football clubs based in the UK are very popular in India.”
Football is widely admired among India’s youth and several football clubs based in the UK are very popular in India.@Keir_Starmer pic.twitter.com/bigSLXNWX1
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2025
PM Starmer said that the trade deal between the two countries was “the most significant deal the UK has signed since leaving the EU”, and said that with India, the UK has “unique bonds of history, of family and of culture, and we want to strengthen our relationship further”. PM Modi hailed the agreement as “a blueprint for our shared prosperity”.
This visit is PM Modi’s fourth visit to the UK since assuming office in 2014.
