Mr Sunak said: “The Indo-Pacific is increasingly critical to our security and our prosperity. It is filled with dynamic and fast growing economies and the next decade will be defined by what happens in this region.
“I know firsthand the incredible value of the deep cultural and historical ties we have with India. I am delighted that even more of India’s brightest young people will now have the opportunity to experience all that life in the UK has to offer – and vice versa – making our economies and societies richer.”
Mr Sunak’s grandparents are Indian and he is married to the daughter of an Indian billionaire, with his rise to prime minister garnering headlines in India.
The UK continues to push for a trade deal with India, with Mr Johnson’s earlier hopes of a deal having been dashed by this year’s Diwali celebrations.
Mr Sunak appeared to play down the possibility of rapid progress in the talks, stressing that getting the right deal was more important than speed.
Last month Ms Braverman raised concerns about the trade deal talks with India and the possibility of visa increases for Indians.
Speaking to The Spectator magazine, he said of the deal: “I have some reservations. Look at immigration into this country – the largest group of people who overstay are Indian immigrants.”
The prime minister refuses to support the immigration target
It came as Mr Sunak refused to back immigration cuts to the tens of thousands, an element of the Tories’ 2019 manifesto which Ms Braverman last month described as her “absolute ambition”. The Prime Minister said he was “committed to reducing immigration over time” but stressed the need to “be honest with people about the challenges we face”. “Government policy, and my policy, is that we will want to reduce net migration,” he told GB News. “I’m not going to put an arbitrary number because I want to be honest with people. “Right now, our number one challenge is to control the number of illegal immigrants coming in. This is the thing I want to focus on first. “That’s what the British public wants us to focus on. Our deal with the French this week is the first in a series of things we will have to do. “People need to be sure that this is a huge priority for me, and [it is] I take up a lot of my time.”
