Liz Truss, who has been to India three times in her previous capacity as international trade secretary and as foreign secretary, discussed bilateral relations in a phone call with Narendra Modi on Saturday.

The British Prime Minister’s spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi this afternoon, following the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

“The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Modi for his heartfelt condolences, which he said were on behalf of 1.3 billion Indians.

“The leaders acknowledged the grief felt by the many people of the UK and India and paid tribute to Her Majesty The Queen’s lifetime of service. The two agreed on the vital importance of the UK-India relationship and looked forward to meeting in person in the near future.”

LBC talk radio reported with some surprise that India had declared a day of national mourning to mark the Queen’s passing on September 11.

Modi tweeted his condolences on learning of the Queen’s death on Thursday: “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered as a stalwart of our times. She provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people. She personified dignity and decency in public life. Pained by her demise. My thoughts are with her family and the people of the UK in this sad hour.”