Mumbai, Nov 15 Britain’s Prince William will visit Mumbai from November 16 to 18, during which he will participate in the Earthshot Prize ceremony, Acting British High Commissioner to India Ben Miller said on Sunday.
Princess Kate Middleton will also accompany Prince William. During his three-day visit to the city, Prince William will also be part of a ‘gully’ cricket event, and take a Metro rail ride.
The royal couple will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 18 in the national capital, Miller said.
“When Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Their Royal Highnesses on Wednesday, they will be celebrating that partnership and discussing the areas of cooperation as we look to the future,” Miller said.
A major highlight of the visit is the Earthshot Prize event here, an initiative founded by Prince William, which focuses on climate change solutions. Fifteen climate solutions across five categories, comprising 20 individuals, have been shortlisted for this edition’s Earthshot Prize.
The visit is a really wonderful opportunity to celebrate India’s leadership on climate and demonstrate how the UK and India can collaborate to address one of the world’s toughest challenges. India is already the world’s third-largest renewable energy market, with ambitious plans to expand clean energy, Miller said.
“India’s ability to innovate and scale solutions makes it a natural home for the Earthshot Prize, and a partner that we in the UK government are proud to work alongside in delivering global environmental and economic progress,” Miller said at a press conference here.
The UK-India climate cooperation is already delivering tangible results, centred around three priority areas, clean energy, finance, and resilience. And alongside that climate partnership, the visit is very well-timed for the broader UK-India relationship, Miller said.
Princess Kate will also visit a hospital here, while the Prince will visit a production house, where he will interact with Bollywood personalities.
Miller said when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer met here in Mumbai last year, they spoke of building a new, modern partnership focused on the future.
And since then, that ambition has increasingly delivered results – from the trade deal through our Vision 2035, and growing cooperation across technology, growth, clean energy, education, and security, he added.
“In our landmark Free Trade Agreement, which came into force in July, it’s no exaggeration to say this is a genuinely groundbreaking deal between our two countries that underpins that shared vision for the future. It’s also India’s broadest and deepest free trade agreement to date, and has opened new opportunities for business and consumers in both directions,” Miller said.
The FTA is expected to increase bilateral trade by 25.5 billion pounds and boost UK GDP by 4.8 billion pounds a year in the long run, creating new opportunities for businesses, investors, and workers in both countries, Miller added.
(PTI News)
