The India Story Episode 3 | UK PM in India, FM in US signals India is 'open for business'

It's been a busy week for diplomacy for India, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on a 2-day visit to meet his 'khaas dost' Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Washington to build on the India-US 2+2 dialogue held earlier this month.

With global geopolitics in a flux, the Russia-Ukraine war figured prominently in the discussion between India and UK PMs, especially with India facing mounting criticism from the West over its position on Russia. Johnson said the UK has raised the issue of Ukraine with India diplomatically, adding that India has historic ties with Russia and everyone understands it.

Addressing the media in a joint statement, PM Modi called for immediate ceasefire and stressed on dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Russia-Ukraine crisis. New Delhi and Britain's biggest focus was the Free Trade Agreement, and both nations hope to seal the deal by the end of this year. UK PM Boris Johnson said that India & the UK also had a shared interest in keeping the Indo-Pacific region free and open, in the face of growing threats of autocratic coercion.

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, meanwhile is in the United States in a bid to boost India-US trade ties, a clear signal that India is open for business. While the West has signalled a clear decoupling from Moscow, should India brace for impact? Can Quad drive the India-US economic agenda, to help keep China at bay? Is a Free Trade Agreement with the US on the table? We look at some of these crucial questions in an exclusive conversation with experts, Former Indian Ambassador to the US Arun Singh, and Mukesh Aghi, President & CEO, US-India Strategic Partnership Forum

Watch The India Story with Vikram Chandra, every Friday at 8 pm. For all episodes of the show, download the Editorji app at www.editorji.com/download