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The Prime Minister has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the US and mediators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should at this time award Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister suggested that time was needed to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me above all," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his tour to the country – his first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The trip signifies the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital ID System Examined

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who developed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and verification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would in time look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it means that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification helps people with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

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

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he said. "This included a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

Starmer also mentioned he had brought up the situation of the UK-based activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons currently detained abroad.

But, he did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up the consular cases," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve relations between the UK and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was eager to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to work together where we are able, challenge where we must, and this has been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."