Comprehensive trade deal signed, allowing duty-free entry to 99% of Indian exports
The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to lower tariffs, making high-end luxury cars and bikes more affordable. Brands like JLR, McLaren, and Triumph stand to benefit
PM Modi said that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the UK will especially benefit Indian youth, farmers, fishermen and MSME sector
The Free Trade Agreement is being described as India's most comprehensive trade pact ever and the UK's most significant since Brexit
Besides a "significant and comprehensive" Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to be signed between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer, an ambitious new UK-India Vision 2035 agreement will also be agreed between the leaders on Thursday to mark a "step-change" in bilateral ties for the next decade, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said. In an interview with PTI to coincide with Modi's visit to the UK, the senior UK Cabinet minister said the pact will build on the FTA to unlock new opportunities that strengthen defence cooperation and drive innovation between both economies. Lammy said the UK is thrilled that Prime Minister Modi is visiting to sign the FTA, the most significant bilateral trade deal for Britain since leaving the European Union (EU) and the most comprehensive agreement India has ever signed. The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will naturally be a central focus, a testament to the strength of our partnership, said Lammy. It's projected to boost bilateral trade
Diaspora groups in the UK have geared up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in the UK on Wednesday evening for a historic visit that centres around the signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and refresh of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Modi is set to be greeted by cheering groups of community leaders, students and parliamentarians gathered in anticipation on the outskirts of London. They expressed excitement around the FTA that is expected to be signed during the bilateral discussions between PM Modi and British PM Keir Starmer on Thursday. "During my meeting with Prime Minister Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer, we will have the opportunity to further enhance our economic partnership, aimed at fostering prosperity, growth and job creation in both countries," Modi said in his departure statement earlier on Wednesday. He highlighted the significant progress in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in recent years and noted that the collaboration between the two .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's July visit to the UK will focus on increasing bilateral trade and signing the India-UK Free Trade Agreement. He will also visit the Maldives on his return
India and UK are expected to sign FTA next week; pact expected to cut tariffs, boost exports, and benefit sectors like textiles, whisky, while easing social security rules for Indian professionals
Some within the government, as well as prominent voices in industry, have complained that the FTA with Asean allows for the dumping of Chinese goods in India via Southeast Asia
CII president Rajiv Memani says China's Foxconn exit signals the risk of over-relying on a few countries for manufacturing and supply chains, and outlines India's growth prospects for 2025-26
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said the government holds extensive stakeholder consultations on the free trade agreements (FTAs) and is pursuing these pacts while keeping in mind the interests of the domestic industry. He said that India is keeping in mind both the offensive and defensive interests of industry while negotiating these agreements. "We do all our FTAs after holding extensive stakeholder consultations and meetings. We address their (industries) concerns and needs," he told reporters here on the sidelines of an event commemorating the third anniversary of the opening of Vanijya Bhawan. He added that India is negotiating FTAs with those trading partners which do not compete with the country but rather complement its economy so that industry and people get benefitted from that. "Going forward also, we will do FTAs which will keep in mind national and public interests," he added. Talking about the Bhawan, Goyal said it is a symbol of modern, efficie
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says India's trade policy has shifted in the past 11 years to target transparent and stable economies over Southeast Asian competition
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is in London on a two-day official visit to discuss issues related to the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and explore ways to boost trade and investment between the two countries, an official statement said on Wednesday. During the visit, Goyal will hold a bilateral meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds. "Both leaders will review the progress made in the ongoing FTA negotiations and chart out a clear, time-bound roadmap for its finalisation and implementation," the commerce ministry said. India and the UK had announced the conclusion of the FTA on May 6. The pact aims to eliminate duties on labour-intensive Indian exports such as leather, footwear and clothing, while easing imports of UK products like whisky and cars. It targets to double trade between the two economies to USD 120 billion by 2030. The agreement is yet to be formally signed and implemented. The minister will also
Piyush Goyal's remarks come just days after he claimed that the FTA between India and the four-nation European bloc will bring stability, predictability, and continuity to businesses in the regions
Jaishankar stated that India gives "pretty high priority" to its relations with the EU, highlighting the growing interest in Europe over the past decade
India and the European Union (EU) are likely to agree upon a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) instead of an interim deal, an official said on Tuesday. However, the proposed investment treaty and a pact on geographical indications (GI) may not be concluded simultaneously. The official said that the situation remains dynamic in the free trade agreement negotiations. Negotiations for the "comprehensive agreement" between India and the EU are progressing at a rapid pace, and the deal could be concluded before the year-end, the official added. Earlier, there were discussions that an early harvest trade pact may be finalised before going for a comprehensive deal. In June 2022, India and the 27-nation EU bloc resumed negotiations for a comprehensive free trade agreement, an investment protection agreement and a pact on GIs after a gap of over eight years. A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a defi
Despite its large economic size, India has struggled to integrate into manufacturing global value chains (GVCs), unlike many of its Asian peers
India's apparel and home textiles shipments to the UK attract an 8-12 per cent import duty, that would be scrapped under the FTA expected to come into force in calendar year 2026
Puri said that the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has set a template for future deals and will create opportunities for India to build alternate supply chains
The FTA has come at a time when the economic relations between India and the UK are growing, with their bilateral trade at roughly $60 billion, and projected to double by 2030