Andy Burnham's Familiarity with India: A Relationship Rooted in Years of Interaction
As Andy Burnham prepares to enter 10 Downing Street as Britain’s seventh prime minister in ten years, one area of foreign policy arrives with an uncommon degree of familiarity: India. While many of the challenges awaiting him are new, his engagement with New Delhi is rooted in years of interaction dating back to his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester. That history now intersects with political commitments at home that could shape the future direction of India-UK relations. Burnham’s interest in India predates his rise to national leadership. During his years leading Greater Manchester, he consistently presented India as one of the region’s most important international partners, arguing that closer engagement with fast-growing economies would be essential to Britain’s long-term prosperity. That approach was on full display during his visit to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi in 2019. The trip, organised by the Manchester India Partnership, focused on expanding collaboration in business, higher education, research and innovation between Greater Manchester and Indian institutions. Burnham described India as a priority market for Greater Manchester’s international ambitions while emphasising that cooperation should deliver gains on both sides. “India is a key market in Greater Manchester’s internationalisation strategy as it presents significant opportunities to the city-region, but these opportunities are mutual, and Greater Manchester is also helping India with its own economic growth plans,” he said to PTI. Treating India solely as a destination for British exports or investment, Burnham promoted the idea of a reciprocal partnership built around innovation, shared expertise and long-term economic cooperation. He explained about digital technology, software, engineering, advanced manufacturing and scientific research as sectors with significant scope for collaboration. Healthcare was another area he repeatedly identified for stronger engagement, pointing to opportunities in medical innovation, life sciences and research partnerships between universities and healthcare institutions in both countries. Beyond commerce, Burnham argued that expanding direct air connectivity between India and northern England could stimulate trade, tourism and business travel. He also stressed the importance of educational partnerships, cultural exchanges, sporting links and closer engagement with the Indian diaspora in strengthening the wider relationship. Burnham’s engagement with India extended well beyond the 2019 visit. As mayor, he maintained regular contact with Indian representatives, including then High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami, while continuing to champion closer ties between India and northern England. His support was evident again in March 2025 when India inaugurated its Consulate General in Manchester, the country’s first diplomatic mission dedicated exclusively to the north of England. Burnham welcomed the development, describing it as another milestone in expanding bilateral engagement at the regional level. India’s Consul General in Manchester, Vishakha Yaduvanshi, has publicly acknowledged Burnham’s role in strengthening links between India and Greater Manchester, crediting his personal involvement with helping deepen economic, cultural and institutional cooperation. Those years of engagement have led many officials to anticipate policy continuity rather than a major shift in Britain’s approach towards India. Harjinder Kang, Britain’s outgoing Trade Commissioner for South Asia and the former chief negotiator of the India-UK trade agreement, told PTI that Burnham appears committed to maintaining the strategic direction adopted under recent prime ministers, including Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. Kang also revealed that he had recently discussed a proposed Greater Manchester delegation to India with Burnham, describing the incoming prime minister as enthusiastic about strengthening those ties further. The timing of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement has reinforced expectations of stability. Signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to London last year and brought into force on July 15, just days before Burnham assumed office, the agreement eliminates tariffs on more than 90 per cent of Indian exports to Britain and is projected to increase annual bilateral trade by £25.5 billion. Officials in both countries have viewed the agreement as evidence that the broader partnership extends beyond changes in political leadership. Regardless of the positive trajectory in bilateral ties, Burnham also inherits one of the most sensitive issues in Britain’s relationship with India: questions surrounding the UK’s involvement in Operation Blue Star in 1984. Documents made public in 2014 suggested that Margaret Thatcher’s government had provided advice through the SAS before the Indian Army’s operation at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The disclosures led to criticism from British Sikh organisations and an official review, although many campaigners argued that the exercise failed to examine key aspects of Britain’s role before and after the operation. Labour pledged a full public inquiry in both its 2017 and 2019 election manifestos, and Keir Starmer reiterated that commitment after taking over the party leadership. However, the inquiry has yet to materialise, with critics arguing that concerns over diplomatic and trade relations with India have delayed progress. The Sikh Federation UK has now renewed its appeal under Burnham’s leadership. In a letter sent during his campaign for the Makerfield by-election, the organisation urged him to establish an independent judge-led inquiry if he became prime minister. Dabinderjit Singh, the federation’s chief executive for political engagement, has expressed optimism that Burnham may honour Labour’s earlier commitment, pointing to his previous engagement with Sikh groups and comments about external pressure relating to the issue. Any decision to reopen Britain’s role in Operation Blue Star would come at a delicate moment, as London and New Delhi seek to deepen cooperation in trade, investment and diaspora engagement while building on the goodwill developed over recent years. Although Burnham has cultivated close institutional ties with India, there is no publicly known record of direct engagement between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When Keir Starmer won the 2024 general election, Modi congratulated him within a day and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the India-UK strategic partnership. A similar message is expected for Burnham as he begins his tenure. For Burnham, India is unlikely to represent a new foreign policy priority. Instead, it is a relationship shaped over several years through regional diplomacy and economic engagement. His longstanding emphasis on technology, manufacturing, healthcare, innovation and higher education closely aligns with the sectors that increasingly define India-UK cooperation, giving both governments an established platform from which to expand the partnership.
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