Page 7 - Latest Updates on India UK Free Trade deal

UK's third female PM Liz Truss leaves office without India trade deal prize

Britain's third female Prime Minister, Liz Truss, is out of office on Thursday after one of the shortest tenures at 10 Downing Street in London and without a cherished India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) under her belt as a Brexit prize. Truss, who until Wednesday insisted in Parliament that she was a "fighter and not a quitter", resigned after just six weeks after her position became untenable after a series of policy U-turns, Cabinet upheavals and an open revolt against her ability to lead a deeply divided Conservative Party. Truss, who in her innings as foreign and trade minister batted for stronger bilateral ties with India, took charge at 10 Downing Street last month after defeating Indian-origin ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak in the Conservative Party leadership race. The 47-year-old was faced with one of the toughest in-trays in the top job as a result of the spiralling cost-of-living crisis in the country, which rivalled any of the issues faced by her women predecessors in office

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No longer working to Diwali deadline for India trade pact: Kemi Badenoch

The free trade agreement (FTA) talks with India are no longer working towards a Diwali deadline though negotiations are progressing well, UK Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has said as New Delhi expressed confidence on Friday of an "early date" for a mutually beneficial deal. "There are ongoing negotiations as we know on the FTA. There is interest on both sides to see if we can work towards a deal, an FTA, that is beneficial to both the countries at an early date," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters in New Delhi. It came as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his UK counterpart, James Cleverly, and referenced the Roadmap 2030 bilateral agreement signed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former UK PM Boris Johnson in May last year, with no specific reference to the FTA. A good conversation with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. Reviewed various aspects of our bilateral relationship and committed to taking forward Roadmap 2030 ...

India-UK trade deal on verge of 'collapse' over visa comments: Report

The India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) is reportedly on the verge of collapse after the Indian government was angered by comments made by UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman questioning action over visa overstayers from the country, a UK media report claimed on Wednesday. The Times' newspaper quoted government sources to say that ministers in New Delhi were shocked and disappointed by the disrespectful remarks made by Braverman, who said she had concerns of an open borders offer to India as part of an FTA. The likelihood of meeting the Diwali deadline for the pact, set by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is now believed to be diminishing. There's still a lot of goodwill but if certain individuals are still embedded in the [UK] government it will paralyse the talks, the newspaper quoted a source as saying. Last week, Braverman, the Indian-origin Home Secretary said in an interview that she feared a trade deal with India would increase migration to the UK when Indians already ...

India-UK free trade deal stuck on free access to skilled workers

Any failure to conclude a trade accord with Britain will be a missed opportunity for India, a nation upon which many economies are pinning their hopes amid intensified geopolitical struggles

Indian carmakers propose tax cut on imports in Britain trade deal

It is the first time that car makers have backed such cuts, caving to pressure from a government that wants them to give up their protectionist position and lower entry barriers, said sources

India won't yield on national interest to meet FTA deadlines: Piyush Goyal

Comments come a day after UK home secretary cast doubts over the proposed FTA with India over the issue of migration, and branded Indians as the largest group who overstay their visas

India-UK FTA first step in evolving trade, economic ties: UK official

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a very ambitious desire to get the India-UK Free Trade Agreement signed by Diwali and his new British counterpart Liz Truss wants her administration to "match the pace and ambition" of the Indian leader, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said. Cleverly also said that the bilateral relationship between India and UK is longstanding and wide-ranging, which is both a "huge plus" but it also means that "quite understandably there is a desire to have a very, very wide-ranging, meaningful free trade agreement." "Obviously, Prime Minister Modi has set a very ambitious desire to get a free trade agreement signed by Diwali. Now that means that both us and Indian negotiators are going to have to work very, very hard but we are very willing to do so," Cleverly told PTI in an interview here Wednesday on the margins of the high-level UN General Assembly session. "We want to make sure that the deal that we do, ideally by Diwali, is the first step in a ...

India, UK working to meet Diwali deadline for completing FTA: Piyush Goyal

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said the UK is keen to stick to the Diwali deadline for India-UK free trade agreement and both countries are working towards it

Diwali an auspicious date to sign India-UK FTA: British High Commissioner

Currently, both countries are at the last leg of negotiations towards a trade deal that kick-started in January

Piyush Goyal expresses hope for early conclusion of trade talks with UK

With Liz Truss becoming new prime minister of the UK, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has expressed hope for early conclusion of talks with Britain for a free trade agreement, aimed at boosting bilateral economic ties. "A little bit of political changes may have derailed (conclusion of FTA negotiations) by few weeks, but I do hope (that) with...Liz Truss assuming prime ministership of the UK, we may now be able to make up for some lost time (to conclude the FTA negotiations)," Goyal said here on Monday while addressing members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Officials in India were looking to conclude the negotiations for the trade agreement by August 31, but political developments in Britain could have slowed the talks a bit. In January, both countries formally launched talks for a free trade agreement (FTA) to boost bilateral trade and investments. It was launched when Boris Johnson was the prime minister and Truss was the international trade

India-UK free trade treaty text advances at close of fourth round of talks

The Department for International Trade brought together technical experts for discussions in 71 separate sessions covering 20 policy areas

FTA between India and UK could be ready by Diwali, says Piyush Goyal

The way things are progressing between the two negotiating teams, a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK could be ready by Diwali, said Piyush Goyal during a visit to Britain

India, UK to deepen defence ties, seal free-trade agreement 'before Diwali'

In his comments, Modi said, 'good progress' is being made in the negotiations for the FTA and that both sides have decided to do their best to close the pact by the end of this year

India-UK conclude round two of FTA negotiations, share text of draft treaty

Technical experts from both sides came together for discussions in 64 separate sessions covering 26 policy areas

India-UK trade deal: Two willing partners and a host of hurdles in between

India-UK trade deal: While Britain isn't as attractive as the gateway to European markets post Brexit, law firms and CAs will be reluctant to let UK firms get a toehold in their sector in India

Businesses eyeing fresh trade agreement between India and UK, says UKIBC

The UKIBC said it expected to see a step-change in the volume and nature of the trade and investment relationship between the two countries

'Big' free trade agreement coming soon with India, says Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson met PM Narendra Modi on the sidelines of G7 summit in Biarritz, France, last month

UK should invest time into FTA with India: Report

UK's Free Enterprise Group suggests a five-step plan as it gets ready to leave the EU