Page 9 - India Uk

UK delegation meets top govt officials in final push for trade agreement

For India, the cut-off date is model code of conduct. Talks will stop once it sets in

UK to benefit from India's progress, says Indian Dy High Commissioner

Urging the UK to shed its "old lenses" and "see India for what it is", India's Deputy High Commissioner, Sujit Ghosh, on Wednesday said that London is "uniquely positioned" to benefit from New Delhi's rise. Ghosh was addressing the annual UK-India Parliamentary Lunch organised by the London-headquartered India Global Forum (IGF) here. The annual event brings together "leading figures from politics, business, finance, and culture over an informative sit-down lunch to celebrate the growing ties between our two great democracies," according to the IGF website. Ghosh spoke extensively about the growing UK-India ties, the vibrant digital economy, and opportunities in India, the IGF said in a post on the social media platform X. He said, India is not just creating opportunities for its people but also for the rest of the globe. The UK is uniquely positioned to benefit from India's rise." "The time has come for our friends in the UK to shed their old lenses and see India for what it is,"

Rajnath Singh, David Cameron praise momentum of India-UK partnership

Cameron reiterated the UK government's desire to collaborate with India in defence areas. The leaders held the meeting at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ongoing India-UK FTA could be brought to successful conclusion: PM Sunak

Rajnath Singh and Rishi Sunak agreed on the need for the two nations to work together in trade, defence and technology sectors, Ministry of Defence said in a press release

Rajnath Singh meets Rishi Sunak in London during his first official visit

The Defence Minister is currently on an official visit to Great Britain. The visit marks the first visit by a sitting Indian Defence Minister to the UK in more than 20 years

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Call of duty: Maruti Suzuki chairman advocates for low car tariffs in FTAs

The govt and Maruti believe the Indian car industry is no longer an infant and can face low-duty imports through FTAs, but not everyone is sure

UK-India to build stronger ties during minister's visit to TN, Gujarat

TN and Gujarat are leading the way in the development of emerging technologies, the British minister said

Proposed India-UK FTA: Social security impasse prolongs negotiations

India is pushing for a social security pact in the proposed deal, considering that the UK is its second-largest service export destination after the US

Lower duty for electric vehicles in UK FTA inevitable: Govt to automakers

The domestic manufacturers have opposed import duty cuts on EVs, considering that it is a sunrise industry. India has been pushing for duty reduction in a phased manner

British PM Rishi Sunak keen to clinch FTA with India by April: Report

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is keen to clinch a free trade agreement (FTA) with India in time for Easter, which falls at the end of March 2024, according to a UK media report. The India-UK FTA talks began in January last year, aimed at significantly enhancing the GBP 36-billion bilateral trading partnership. A new round of negotiations, expected to be the last, is set to start early in the new year after the thirteenth round concluded on December 15. Prime Minister Mr Sunak and India's premier Narendra Modi are said to be keen to get the deal wrapped up by April, reads a report in the Daily Express' newspaper updated on Saturday. It is hoped a deal can be signed and sealed before India's general elections begin on April 1, it claims. The newspaper quoted a source close to the trade talks on the UK side to say that a lot of progress has been made, but some of the hardest aspects remain pending. We have made a lot of progress, but the last stuff to do is the hardest. We have

Scotch whiskey, EV may figure in 14th round of India-UK FTA talks in Jan

Issues like duty concessions on scotch whisky and electric vehicle (EV) and matters concerning the services sector, including mobility of skilled workers, may figure in the next round of proposed FTA talks between India and the UK in January, an official has said. The official also said that both sides have resolved most of the issues in the rules of origin and intellectual property rights (IPRs) chapters. There are 26 chapters in the agreement, including goods, services, investments and intellectual property rights. Though the negotiations between the two countries have reached their last leg, both sides have yet to resolve differences on major issues like British demand for significant customs duty concessions on scotch whisky, and EVs and liberalisation of norms in services sectors like banking, insurance, legal, and Indian demand for easy movement of professionals, the official added. The two countries have concluded 13 rounds of talks, and the next round is scheduled in Januar

With elections in sight, PM Rishi Sunak pins hopes on India-UK FTA

The ambitious India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) may have proved elusive even in 2023, but it remains the focal point for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to try and bolster his electoral pitch for voters increasingly disillusioned by his government over the rising cost of living and illegal migration. As Sunak, Britain's first Indian-origin Prime Minister, marked the start of this year by setting out his government's top priorities for the year ahead, the deal was not far behind on the agenda. The two nations will begin a new round of discussions in the New Year after the 13th round was completed this month. The round included sessions both in-person, in London and Delhi, and virtual talks. As with round 12, these negotiations focused on complex issues including goods, services, and investment. The UK and India will continue to negotiate towards a comprehensive and ambitious Free Trade Agreement, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said. There is a strong sense that bot

India, UK to hold next round of talks for free trade agreement in Jan

India and the UK officials in January next year will hold the next round of talks for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) to resolve remaining issues, the commerce ministry said on Monday. The 13th round of negotiations for the proposed pact was held between September 18 and December 15. "The UK and India will continue to negotiate towards a comprehensive and ambitious Free Trade Agreement. The fourteenth round of negotiations will take place in January 2024," the ministry said in a statement. These negotiations focussed on complex issues including goods, services, and investment. An Indian team was in London recently. Issues which need to be resolved include duty cuts on electric vehicles and whiskey and the movement of professionals. Talks are also progressing on the proposed bilateral investment treaty (BIT). India and the UK launched the talks for a free-trade agreement (FTA) in January 2022, to conclude talks by Diwali (October 24, 2022), but the deadline was missed due

Rolls-Royce widens role in India-UK Electric Propulsion capability talks

New Delhi and London are moving together purposefully to develop marine electric propulsion. This was evident in the second meeting of the India-UK EPCP-JWG, in New Delhi on November 21

India, UK seek to wrap up trade negotiations before busy election year

It's the 13th round of negotiations on a deal intended to expand a trading relationship that was worth more than $24 billion last year

India, UK discuss regional security issues at Defence Consultative meet

India's Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and his UK counterpart David Williams co-chaired the annual India-UK Defence Consultative Group (DCG) meeting here on Friday, discussing a host of regional security issues and defence industrial cooperation. According to a statement by the Defence Ministry, Aramane and Williams, the Permanent Secretary of the UK's Ministry of Defence, reviewed the ongoing defence cooperation activities, discussed the situation and potential cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region and defence industrial cooperation proposals in missile systems and Electric Propulsion, among other possibilities. Both sides planned for increased interactions and joint activities in the maritime domain with a focus on joint exercises, Maritime Domain Awareness and information exchange. They appreciated the commencement of the India-UK 2+2 Foreign and Defence Dialogue and the increased pace of military-to-military engagements in all domains. Williams later laid a wreath at the .

India should be cautious on labour provisions in FTA negotiations: Experts

India needs to follow a cautious approach while negotiating labour provisions in free trade agreements (FTAs) as those could have potential repercussions on domestic manufacturing and overall trade competitiveness, experts say. International trade experts claimed that in a significant shift from its longstanding stance, India has begun to engage on labour issues in its trade negotiations with the UK, European Union, and the US-led Indo Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). Inclusion of these issues in trade pacts could have negative impacts, they said, adding that the recent US presidential memorandum of Joe Biden on worker rights indicates a deepening focus on labour standards in trade deals. Negotiations are on fast track with a comprehensive trade agreement with the UK, which seeks to promote trade in goods, services and two-way investments. Think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) Ajay Srivastava said that such provisions could erode the competitive advant

Prolonged approval processes impact India's medical devices exports: GTRI

Prolonged regulatory approval processes in the UK impact India's exports of medical devices to the British market, think tank GTRI said on Wednesday. To promote exports of these devices, it said, India should negotiate a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) to expedite the entry of these equipment into the UK market, particularly for devices with CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation ) licence or Quality Council of India's Indian Certification of Medical Devices (ICMED) certification. The MRA would reduce regulatory compliance and audit requirements, potentially enhancing India's exports, Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) Co-Founder Ajay Srivastava said. The suggestion assumes significance as both the countries are negotiating a free trade agreement and this sector is an important part of that. The existing zero import duties on medical devices in the UK imply no direct tariff-related advantages for India under the FTA, it said. This means, India's medical devices

India-UK FTA: Issues to be resolved in coming weeks, says Piyush Goyal

Goyal said both sides had several rounds of negotiations, and 20 out of 26 chapters have been sealed