During a joint press conference of PM Modi and UK PM Keir Starmer after the signing of the landmark India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at Chequers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi calmed the mood of a struggling Hindi translator mid‑session.
Commenting on the translator’s fumble, PM Modi said, “Don’t bother, we can use English words in between. Don’t worry about it.” To this, the translator can be heard apologising. PM Modi reassures her with a “don’t worry.” "I think we understand each other well," UK PM Keir Starmer added.
Earlier in the day, India and the United Kingdom signed a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in London during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit. This deal marks India’s first major bilateral trade agreement with a developed nation in over a decade. The agreement is expected to take effect within a year, after both countries complete necessary legal steps.
What Is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA)?
A Free Trade Agreement is a deal between two or more countries to make trading goods and services easier and cheaper. It usually includes reducing or removing taxes (tariffs) on imports, protecting intellectual property, and allowing companies to invest or do business in each other's countries more freely.
For example, without an FTA, India may charge high tariffs on British goods. But with this FTA, many of those tariffs will be reduced or removed, making British products cheaper in India — and vice versa.
