British PM Johnson Tries To Lure Indians With Flexible Visa Rules To Win Trade Deal

British PM Boris Johnson is on an official trip to meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Even before the official talks began, Johnson signaled he was ready to issue more visas to India in return for clinching a free-trade deal, according to media reports.

What Happened: On his flight to India, Johnson told reporters that "I have always been in favor of talented people coming to this country."

"We are short to the tune of hundreds of thousands of people in our economy, and we need to have a progressive approach, and we will."

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Johnson will begin his long-delayed visit in the western state of Gujarat, where he plans to meet industry leaders to discuss trade links between India and Britain. Johnson will then travel to New Delhi on Friday to meet Modi.

Why It Matters: India has been on the priority list of Britain for getting a trade deal since Brexit. 

Johnson said last week that "My visit to India will deliver on the things that really matter to the people of both our nations – from job creation and economic growth to energy security and defense."

Meanwhile, the UK has been the favorite study abroad location for Indians for centuries. More than 98,000 Indian students came to the UK to study last year, almost 90% of the previous year.

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