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The Prime Minister has asserted that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the United Kingdom had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

But, when asked if the Nobel committee should now award Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister suggested that more time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"The shared history is deep, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are remaking this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification System Examined

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was considering expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at connecting it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can access your own funds, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it allows residents here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those instances of how digital identification assists people with processes that often take excessive time and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the government had to make the case for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since he proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and relations with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi talked about how the country was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on resolving this situation and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he said. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held 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 Britons currently detained abroad.

However, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the families in the near future, as well as raising it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to improve diplomatic ties between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country is deemed a security risk.

Starmer said the UK was keen to pursue additional commercial partnerships but stated that a trade deal with China was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to work together where we can, challenge where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."