Rishi Sunak, while serving his term as Prime Minister, was unable to secure a trade agreement with India prior to the summer elections. This was despite the fact that ministers and officials claimed that the government led by Narendra Modi was eager to sign the deal. Instead of making compromises in sensitive areas such as social security and visas, Sunak insisted on a more comprehensive and profound agreement.

Now, Sunak, who is no longer the Prime Minister but continues to serve as a Member of Parliament, is working on repairing the relationship before the forthcoming visit of Jonathan Reynolds, Trade Secretary, to officially commence talks next week.

Modi, who recently reunited with Sunak, posted on social media that Sunak is a “great friend of India,” and is enthusiastically working towards strengthening India-U.K. ties. Sunak, who visited Modi with his family, including his mother-in-law, Sudha Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, also had meetings with Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister, and S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister. Jaishankar posted on social media that it was pleasant meeting Sunak and he appreciates his persistent support for enhancing relations.

Looking ahead, the negotiations are expected to be intricate. A U.K. official, who requested to remain anonymous, clarified that Sunak’s efforts were not on behalf of the U.K. government. However, they pointed out that it is common for politicians and business leaders to leverage their personal connections to advocate for stronger economic relations. They also noted that Sunak would have been aided by standard protocol during his travel.

Investors and those interested in international trade relations will be keenly watching the progress of these talks, as the outcome could potentially influence future investment decisions.