Theresa May to boost trade with India ahead of Brexit

The Prime Minister arrived in India on Sunday to boost bilateral trade ties with the country, making it easier for business travellers to enter Britain, but stopped short of increasing the number of Indian students.

Theresa May, in her first trip as prime minister outside Europe, said she wants to increase trade with India ahead of its pending divorce with the EU.

May said she would ease access for Indian business travellers to UK and reduce barriers to doing business with India post-Brexit, but that access would not be extended to students.

Reuters reported that Modi said he had agreed to set up a working trade group with Britain to focus on goods and services, and to allow greater mobility of skilled professionals.

The Indian government is keen to have greater access for Indian students to study in the UK, whose numbers have been falling, as there were 11,864 students admitted in June 2015, down 82.6% from 2010.

As Home Secretary, May was charged with bringing net migration below 100,000.

At a technology conference in New Delhi, May said: "I will be discussing with Prime Minister Modi how we can increase the detail and depth of our trade and investment discussions, and identify what more we can do, now, to unleash our businesses, industries, exporters and investors.

“This does not need to wait for us to leave the EU."