India and the United Kingdom (UK) on Thursday formally launched negotiations for an ambitious free trade agreement (FTA) with an aim to first complete an interim agreement by mid-April and subsequently a comprehensive deal by the end of the year, which could double the bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030.
Trade Minister Piyush Goyal and his British counterpart Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who is visiting India, jointly launched the talks for the FTA, which is touted as India’s deepest trade deal yet.
In a joint statement, both sides said the first round of negotiations will begin on January 17, and the next rounds