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The Prime Minister has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Relief to the Globe"

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the US and mediators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to India, Starmer emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time award Donald Trump the coveted award, Starmer suggested that time was needed to know if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to press on and execute this ... my attention now is moving this from the stage 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

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his tour to India – his first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip marks the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is deep, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including meeting principal architects who developed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for benefits, payments, and identification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was considering broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at connecting it to banking and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can access your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with others," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks yesterday, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID assists individuals with processes that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in public approval since he proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this conflict and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in relation to energy."

Starmer also said he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons still held overseas.

But, he did not suggest much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a comparable trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease relations between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a security risk.

Starmer said the UK was keen to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with the nation was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we are able, confront where we must, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."