UK To Share Kohinoor With India? What Indian-Origin British Minister Said

The United Kingdom is in talks with India to ensure shared access and benefit from historical artefacts like the Kohinoor diamond, said Lisa Nandy, Britain's Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The massive 105.6 carat stone--one of the largest cut diamonds in the world-- was held by rulers in India before landing in the hands of the East India Company from Maharaja Ranjit Singh's treasury and then being presented to Queen Victoria following the annexation of Punjab. It remains a symbol of British colonial loot and imperialism.

"We've been talking between the UK and India for quite some time about the way that we think we can collaborate much more closely together to make sure that people both in the UK and in India can benefit from and have access to many of the cultural artefacts that stem back to the very different era. This is something that I've discussed with my counterpart," Ms Nandy, who is in New Delhi on an official visit, told news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Delhi | On any communication between India & UK on 'Kohinoor', UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy says," We've been talking between the UK and India for quite some time about the way that we think we can collaborate much more closely together… pic.twitter.com/Gn0ZPAjRBX

— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2025

Stressing that the UK's relationship with India is "very long" and "very deep", she confirmed that her trip also marked the signing of a new cultural cooperation agreement between both nations. 

"Across the creative industries, the UK and India really excel, whether it's film, fashion, TV, music, gaming. We're really good at these things, and we export many of those products to the world, but we know that through cooperation, we can do more and we can achieve more together. Our Science museums group has been working with the National Museum Science Museums group here to get joint collaborations, joint exhibitions, tour different objects, make sure that people in India and the UK can really benefit from that. We think that's the model for how we can cooperate much more closely across all the other creative industries as well," she said. 

The British minister also met Foreign Minister S Jaishankar during her India visit. Talking about her meeting, she said, "We were very pleased to have a bilateral meeting to discuss how we can cooperate much more closely."

"Prime Minister Modi has signalled his personal commitment to taking what is already a huge Indian success story through film, fashion, and their wider creative industries and really putting rocket boosters under them for the coming years. Our Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, very much agrees with him. That is exactly what the UK government is trying to do, and we have a lot of ambition for what India and the UK can achieve together,' she added. 

She also condoled the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and said the United Kingdom stands with the people of India against terrorism.

"Our Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, was very pleased to be able to send his condolences directly to Prime Minister Modi and to send our condolences to the families of the victims of these appalling attacks. The UK stands with India against terrorism, always in whatever form. We know the Indian nation is hurting because of those attacks, and our relationship with India is very long and very deep," Ms Nandy said

" When you're hurting, we're hurting, and I was pleased to be able to join in that minute's silence to show our respect and our support for India's fight against terrorism," she added.