MUMBAI: Three new Bollywood films will be made in Britain from next year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced during a trip to India on Wednesday.

Yash Raj, India’s leading film production and distribution company, will bring major productions to Britain from early 2026 after an eight-year break from filming in the country, the government said, expecting 3,000 jobs to be created as a result. “Bollywood is back in Britain, and it’s bringing jobs, investment and opportunity, all while showcasing the UK as a world-class destination for global filmmaking,” Starmer said in a statement. “This is exactly the kind of partnership our trade deal with India is destined to unlock.”

Starmer also visited a new Premier League community programme where he met aspiring young Indian footballers and coaches.

The Premier League is one of the UK’s most successful cultural exports, and generates $13 billion of value to the economy, supporting over 100,000 jobs.

More football fans in India now watch the Premier League (71 million) than the entire population of the UK.

“I’m hugely proud of our national sport — it brings communities together and changes lives,” he said. However, Starmer ruled out expanding visa access for Indian professionals despite pressure. “That isn’t part of the plan,” he told reporters en route to Mumbai.

“We’re here now to take advantage of the free trade agreement that we’ve already struck. We’ve got to implement it.” Rights groups have urged Starmer to raise the case of Scottish Sikh blogger Jagtar Singh Johal, detained in India since 2017 over an alleged plot to kill right-wing Hindu leaders.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2025