India-UK boost financial ties: Sitharaman meets Sunak

In a recent meeting held in Delhi, India's Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, engaged in discussions with former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to explore new opportunities for enhancing market-driven financial ties and boosting economic growth.

During the meeting, Minister Sitharaman highlighted the potential of utilizing the Commonwealth as a platform to bring issues of shared interest to the forefront of the G7 agenda, aiming to benefit the Global South.

This discussion follows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier commitment to advocating for the priorities and concerns of the Global South, addressed during the G7 summit in Italy's Apulia region in June.

At the summit, PM Modi emphasized the challenges these countries face amidst global uncertainties and tensions.

Significantly, the Prime Minister has been vocal about integrating the African Union as a permanent member of the G-20 under India's leadership, aiming to amplify the voice of the Global South on the international stage.

In addition, PM Modi has been a strong advocate for ending technological monopolies held by advanced nations. India's hosting of the G-20 summit further underscored the necessity for robust international AI governance, promoting a vision of AI technologies that are transparent, fair, secure, accessible, and responsible worldwide.

The Prime Minister reiterated India's pioneering role in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting the country's early development of a national AI strategy and the launch of the AI Mission with a focus on 'AI for All'.

Moreover, PM Modi conveyed India's commitment to sustainable energy principles that emphasize availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability. He pledged efforts to reach Net Zero emissions by 2070 and called for a unified global initiative to foster a sustainable future.

This meeting between Minister Sitharaman and Rishi Sunak occurred shortly after a similar engagement between India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and the former UK Prime Minister. Minister Jaishankar expressed appreciation for Sunak's continued support in strengthening India-UK relations on the platform X, alongside sharing photographs from their merting.