Want easier intra-company transfers for workers: India on UK FTA talks

Vikram Doraiswami said that India has been seeking the simplification of the process by which intra-company transfers happen

Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, shed light on India's stance on visas in the UK-India trade deal, stating that India wants easier intra-company transfers and portable pensions instead of more visas.

In an interview with Times Radio, Doraiswami said that India is not asking for migrants to be able to come to the UK. India is a net recipient of migration rather than a net sender of migrants, he added. The comments come when UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is in New Delhi to attend the G20 summit.

Doraiswami emphasised the need for both Indian and British companies to find it easier to move their respective nationals between the two countries. He also highlighted the necessity for a good free trade agreement that covers visa simplification for specialists and services.

Doraiswami also said that India has been seeking the simplification of the process by which intra-company transfers happen.

Also, India wants that contributions to pension funds by Indians working in the UK can be repatriated to the country when they return. This will ensure that individuals will be able to access their pension benefits earned during their stay in the UK. 

Responding to these clarifications, a spokesperson for PM Rishi Sunak affirmed the UK's commitment to cut net migration. There are no plans to alter immigration policies, including student visas, while negotiations for the free trade agreement are ongoing.

There is hope that an agreement on the free trade deal between the two countries can be reached this year.