PM Modi begins UK visit today, to push for investment

India and Britain could announce deals worth $12-$18 bn during the visit

Seeking to strengthen Indo-UK economic ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for Britain to begin his first visit to the country during which he will have a hectic schedule that will start with talks with his British counterpart David Cameron.

"Leaving for UK. I am hopeful this visit will strengthen economic ties between India and UK & bring more investment to India. #makeinindia," he tweeted before starting his three-day visit.

After arriving in London this afternoon, he will have talks with Cameron at 10 Downing Street. He will address a joint press conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) after the bilateral talks.

A brief stop to pay tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square will be followed by speeches at the Houses of Parliament and then at the Guildhall in the financial hub of London.

His talks with Cameron will carry on at the British Prime Minister's country residence of Chequers in Buckinghamshire, where he is being hosted overnight.

On Friday, Modi returns London for a CEOs round-table which is likely to include representatives from major British companies like Rolls-Royce and Vodafone.

India and Britain could announce deals worth 8-12 billion pounds ($12-$18 billion) during the visit, according to diplomats, with Modi keen to buy 20 moreBAE Systems Hawk trainer aircraft to be made in Bengaluru.

The pomp and ceremony attached to the visit is expected to include a special tricolour flypast by the Red Arrows Royal Air Force (RAF) Aerobatic Teamover Buckingham Palace before the Prime Minister sits down for lunch with Queen Elizabeth II on Friday afternoon before making his way to Wembley Stadium in north London for the mega Diaspora reception.

He leaves for Ankara to attend the G20 summit on Saturday after inaugurating a new statue of 12th century philosopher Basaveshwara as well as a new Ambedkar memorial in London.

A visit to the Tata Motors' owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) factory in Solihull, in the West Midlands region of England, will be the last item on his UK agenda.

"My visit to UK is the first Prime Ministerial visit in almost a decade. I have had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister David Cameron at various international forums and our meetings have been productive. Prime Minister Cameron is a good friend of India's, and we in India have had the privilege of welcoming him thrice during his first term as Prime Minister," Modi had written in a Facebook post ahead of the visit.

Yet Modi’s popularity is being challenged at home, after the BJP lost an election badly in Bihar, home to 104 million people. Three party elders, including former deputy prime minister LK Advani, released a statement late on Tuesday questioning the direction of the BJP, which risks embarrassing Modi just ahead of his visit.

British Prime Minister David Cameron is seeking to revamp economic ties with fast-growing Asian nations, including India, as part of his push on business-focused diplomacy.

Modi’s trip marks a remarkable turnaround for a man who was banned from Britain for 10 years over his alleged role as chief minister of Gujarat in riots that killed about 1,000 people in 2002.

Britain ended a boycott of Modi three years ago after he emerged from being a provincial politician to the likely leader of the world’s largest democracy. He has denied wrongdoing and was exonerated by an inquiry ordered by the Supreme Court.

His three-day visit is likely to be marked by protests over those riots and concerns over recent incidents in India where Muslims have been targeted by Hindu extremists.

Several groups were planning demonstrations outside Wembley Stadium during the rally and near Cameron’s Downing Street office to coincide with Modi’s visit there.

About 45 British lawmakers, including opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, recently signed a parliamentary motion to debate India’s human rights record.