UK may relax visa system if India helps in taking back tens of thousands of overstayers

New Delhi: British Prime Minister Theresa May and her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, held wide-ranging talks Monday aimed at deepening ties between their countries and boosting trade and investment as the U.K. gets set to leave the European Union. May arrived in New Delhi late Sunday on her first trip outside of Europe since she became prime minister in July. She was accompanied by trade officials and a large business delegation consisting predominantly of small and medium-sized businesses. Modi hopes to attract British companies to invest in India and urge Britain to ease visa restrictions on Indian business leaders traveling to the U.K. Meanwhile, May would like Indian companies to invest in Britain. In recent years, India has emerged as the third-biggest investor in Britain, creating thousands of new jobs as the U.K. prepares for its EU exit, or Brexit. According to Britain's trade office, India is the second-largest international job creator in the country. Indian companies currently employ more than 100,000 people in the U.K. Earlier on Monday, Modi and May inaugurated a technology summit to boost trade in advanced scientific and technology businesses. Highlights of Modi-May meeting:

• I thanked PM May for UK's consistent support for India's bid for membership of #UNSC and #NSG: #Modi.
• We discussed ways to purposefully work together to combat radicalisation and terrorism: #Modi.
• We agreed that terror is not a limited threat,discussed cross- border terrorism & need for action against states supporting terror:#PM.
• I am inviting British defence industry for manufacture and co-development of projects in India: #Modi.
• India and #UK have decided to establish a joint working group on trade: PM Modi after talks with British counterpart.
• As part of this, the UK will consider further improvements to our visa offer if at the same time we can step up the speed and volume of returns of Indians with no right to remain in the UK: May
• UK will continue to welcome the brightest and best Indian students, with the latest figures showing that nine out of ten applications are granted: May
• "Britain is open for business," May told delegates at the India-U.K. Tech Summit, billed as South Asia's biggest technology conference.
• May said she would be "promoting the best of Britain, sending out the message that we are open for business, and making the most of the opportunities offered by Brexit as the world's foremost champion of free trade."
• Modi said it was "vital that India and the United Kingdom, two countries linked by history, work together to define the knowledge economy of the 21st century."
• India and UK ink two MoUs on ease of doing business and cooperation in IPR.

  Speaking at the Tech Summit held at New Delhi, in her first foreign visit outside the European Union, May called upon its "natural partner" India and highlighted cultural links shared between India and U.K. "With so much in common when it comes to trade, values, culture and of course people with one and a half people Indian origin people living in Britain, ours is a natural partnership, look around India and Britain and you can see the evidence. We listen to each other's music, eat each other's food and share a passionate game of cricket with each other," May said. The British Prime Minster further stressed on greater trade between India and U.K. to foster growth and employment in both the countries. "There is so much potential when it comes to India-Britain relationship, we have a special bond. In Britain we are working on economic and social reforms. Indian investment is helping us diversifying our economy. I would use this visit to discuss with PM Modi and his team and Indian businesses on how we can work together to seize those possibilities, building a partnership to focus resolutely on shaping our shared future bilaterally and on the global stage," May said. More than 65 years after India gained independence from British colonial rule, some of Britain's best-known brands are owned by Indian companies, including iconic names such as Jaguar and Land Rover automobiles and Tetley Tea. (With information from AP, PTI and ANI)