Prime Minister Narendra Modi met King Charles III at Sandringham House on Thursday, just hours after India and the United Kingdom signed a landmark Free Trade Agreement aimed at boosting annual bilateral trade by nearly USD 34 billion. The Royal Family shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), posting: "This afternoon, The King received the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, at Sandringham House."
PM Modi described the meeting as “very good,” noting that they discussed the progress made in trade and investment following the signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and Vision 2035. “Other subjects of discussion included education, health and wellness, particularly Yoga and Ayurveda, which are subjects His Majesty is very passionate about. We also talked about environmental protection and sustainability,” Modi posted on X.
King Charles joins ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative
During the meeting, King Charles was presented with a tree to be planted this autumn, inspired by PM Modi’s environmental initiative ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ (A Tree for Mother), which encourages people to plant a tree in tribute to their mothers. “His Majesty King Charles III is very passionate about nature, environment and sustainable living. Thus, his joining the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ movement is very noteworthy and will inspire people around the world,” Modi added.
Historic trade agreement signed
Earlier in the day, PM Modi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer oversaw the signing of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement in London. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds formalised the pact, hailed as India’s most ambitious trade deal in over a decade and the UK’s first major post-Brexit agreement.
Calling it a “new roadmap for shared prosperity,” PM Modi said the deal would benefit farmers, fishermen, small businesses, and professionals in both countries. The agreement will grant near-zero duty access to key Indian exports such as textiles, gems and jewellery, seafood, leather goods, engineering products, and processed foods.
Government officials described the FTA as a “historic milestone” in the India-UK partnership, paving the way for deeper collaboration across sectors.
