India, Oct. 8 -- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday called for the free trade agreement (FTA) with India to be implemented "as soon as humanly possible", as the two countries seek to deepen economic ties amid turbulence triggered by the trade policies of the US.

Addressing British business delegates at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai at the start of a two-day visit, Starmer said he had instructed officials to move quickly on the FTA signed in July after three years of start-stop negotiations.

"It provides huge opportunities," Starmer told members of the 125-strong delegation, including CEOs and entrepreneurs, accompanying him. "I think the opportunities are already opening up...Our job is to make it easier for you to seize...