United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday said Britain would expedite approvals for Indian entrepreneurs under a Registered Traveller Scheme, NDTV reported. May is in India on a three-day trip, her first bilateral visit outside of the European Union.

The British prime minister said she wanted her country to take on the role of a "global standard bearer of free trade". "There is so much potential when it comes to India-Britain relationship, we have a special bond," she said. The two countries will also sign business deals worth more than £1 billion (approximately Rs 8,272.08 crore), according to PTI.

During their address at the India-UK TECH Summit in Delhi earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked May for choosing India for her first bilateral visit outside the EU and stressed on the importance of the Make in India campaign in the bilateral relationship. The two prime ministers met for bilateral talks over lunch the same day.

Four other summits on higher education, innovation and entrepreneurship, design and intellectual property rights are being held under the ambit of the bilateral summit. Modi also said that India's "liberal policy in areas like defence, manufacturing and aerospace will help Britain". "We have agreed to establish a clean energy Research and Development Centre on solar energy and a new anti-microbial resistance initiative," he said.

Modi further urged British companies to invest in the Indian defence sector. "Looking beyond trade in defence equipment, I invite British companies to build a partnership with Indian enterprises," he said, also thanking the UK for supporting India's bid to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group and the United Nations Security Council.

While addressing a joint press conference, May and Modi said they had also discussed the threat of terrorism and the need for the international community to take strong action to combat it. "We agreed that terrorism is not a limited security challenge, it moves across borders and affects all of humanity," Modi said, while the UK prime minister added that they faced the "shared threat of terrorism as individual countries, as partners and as global powers".

Although on a trade visit to the country, May dismissed reports of a scheduled meeting with the Tata Group owing to a "busy schedule", Reuters reported. The group had put its British steel operations on sale after it suffered major losses in the region. The Brexit result, however, halted the process. The conglomerate said it was mulling over partnerships with European steelmakers, a move that could negatively affect the British economy.

Her visit gains significance as the UK announced changes on November 4 in its visa approval policy for non-European Union citizens, which stands to affect Indian professionals. The changes, which include raising of salary tiers for different categories and new English language requirements, will reportedly affect Indian workers, especially information technology professionals.

In what is being perceived as an attempt to bolster Britain's image in the post Brexit-era, May, who is leading a delegation of British officials and entrepreneurs, referred to India as one of UK's "most important and closest" friends. She later said the UK "will continue to welcome the brightest and best students from India" to the country to study.

Although the UK cannot sign any bilateral agreements till Brexit is enforced, May's visit is seen as an initiation of the process.