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

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

Starmer commented that the initial stage of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to India, the British leader stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should now grant Donald Trump the prestigious prize, Starmer suggested that more time was needed to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he stated at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit marks the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our people are truly special," Starmer said as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification System Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, transactions, and identification.

The prime minister suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding the application of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at linking it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it means that you can access your own money, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is possible with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital identification helps individuals with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister admitted that the administration had to build public support for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in public approval since he proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this situation and the various steps will be taken to that end," he commented. "This included a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons still held abroad.

However, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is meeting the families in the near future, as well as raising it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar business-oriented visit to China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease relations between the United Kingdom and China.

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

Starmer clarified the United Kingdom was keen to pursue other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, confront where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the government in regarding China."