British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is poised to touch down in India later this week for the prestigious G20 World Leaders’ Summit, where he can anticipate a lavish reception from his kinsfolk in New Delhi, as per a report from ‘The Daily Telegraph,’ a prominent UK media outlet.
The said publication has reported that Prime Minister Sunak’s relatives have orchestrated an opulent feast to honor his arrival, complete with resplendent flower bouquets and an evening of ceaseless revelry, all set to the melodious strains of Punjabi music.
Dr. Gautam Dev Sood, a maternal uncle of the UK Prime Minister with Punjabi heritage, expressed his profound honor at the impending visit of his illustrious nephew to his ancestral homeland. “It is a great honor for us that he is visiting his ancestral land,” Dr. Sood conveyed to the newspaper.
Subhash Berry, Rishi Sunak’s paternal uncle, tantalizingly hinted at the grandeur of their plans, albeit without divulging precise details. “We can’t divulge exact details, but a plan is in place to welcome the (British) prime minister,” Berry hinted. He elaborated further, stating, “We are gearing up for a night of non-stop dancing, mostly to the lively beats of traditional Punjabi music, although I imagine we might also groove to a few English tunes along the way.”
Regrettably, the newspaper alluded to the probability that Rishi Sunak might not be able to partake in this splendid gathering due to a frenzied work schedule surrounding the G20 summit and concurrent bilateral negotiations, slated to take place from Friday to Sunday.
Rishi Sunak, aged 43, was born in Southampton to parents Yashvir and Usha, both of whom trace their roots back to India. For his inaugural visit to India as Prime Minister, he will be accompanied by his Indian spouse, Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and renowned author Sudha Murty.
Although Mr. Sunak boasts extended family in northern India, Ms. Murty’s relatives primarily reside in Karnataka.
In the run-up to the impending G20 World Leaders’ Summit, scheduled for this forthcoming weekend, preparations are proceeding at full tilt. Reports suggest that a bilateral meeting between Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on the cards for the sidelines of the event.
Ahead of his visit, the British Indian leader hailed India as an “indispensable partner” of the UK across all facets of bilateral cooperation during a Cabinet meeting with his top team at Downing Street earlier this week.
“He said negotiations around a free trade deal were progressing and that he would only agree on an approach that worked for the whole of the UK,” stated a Downing Street communique following the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who recently concluded talks with India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal during her visit to India, updated the UK Cabinet on the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, highlighting that “India is already one of the UK’s largest trading partners, with a relationship worth GBP 36 billion a year.”
The FTA negotiations have successfully completed 12 rounds of discussions, with a joint outcome statement affirming the commitment of both parties to advance the negotiations.
