India-UK Ties

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has sent its first-ever business delegation to India on Monday aimed at unlocking opportunities from the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) being negotiated between London and New Delhi. The industry body, which speaks on behalf of 190,000 UK businesses of all sizes and sectors, began a three-day visit covering Mumbai and New Delhi with some of the biggest names from British and Indian industries including HSBC, ICICI Bank, fintech firm Tide and wine and spirits major Pernod Ricard. The CBI said the delegation will focus on key growth sectors where UK and Indian business can develop profitable partnerships, such as innovation and sustainability. The UK-India relationship is going from strength to strength, so it is fantastic that the CBI is sending its first-ever business delegation to India, said Greg Hands, UK Minister for Trade Policy at the Department for International Trade (DIT). India is on track to become the third largest economy with a

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and UK Chancellor of Exchequer Jeremy Hunt on Wednesday discussed bilateral investment and trade issues. The two leaders also discussed issues relating to the G-20, of which India has assumed the Presidency for the current year. "Union Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman and the Chancellor of the Exchequer United Kingdom, Mr @Jeremy_Hunt had a telecon today. Both sides discussed about #G20, investment & trade and other bilateral concerns of mutual interest," the finance ministry tweeted.

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These steps come following complaints of visa delays that have resulted in trip cancellations

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said the UK is "eager" to secure a trade deal with India to boost both economies and that Brexit has meant that Britain no longer has a Eurocentric mindset towards trade or visas, days after she caused a stir with her "concerns" over what she feared could be an "open borders" approach in the ongoing trade talks with India. Addressing a Diwali event organised by UK-based India Global Forum (IGF) here on Tuesday evening, the Indian-origin Cabinet minister spoke of being a proud member of the British Indian community and hailed the contribution made by the Indian diaspora to British life. In an apparent effort to override her recent controversial remarks about Indians forming the largest group of visa overstayers, the minister said the UK's villages, towns and cities have been profoundly enriched by immigration from India. "Naturally, there is an economic imperative for our countries to work together, which is why we are so eager to secure a trade ..

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 ...

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

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday congratulated Liz Truss on being chosen to be the next prime minister of the UK and said he is confident that the India-UK relationship will grow further under her leadership. Truss, who beat former chancellor Rishi Sunak to succeed Boris Johnson, is set to take charge as Britain's new prime minister. Congratulating Truss on being elected as the leader of the UK Conservative Party, Jaishankar tweeted, "Your commitment to raising India-UK cooperation to a higher level is well known. Confident that our relationship will grow further under your leadership." Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also congratulated Truss on Monday night after she was chosen to be the next prime minister of the UK and had expressed confidence that under her leadership, the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will be further strengthened.

Newly-elected Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister in waiting Liz Truss is among the senior British politicians known for championing deeper India-UK strategic and economic ties, describing them as a "sweet spot" of global trade dynamics. After all, it was Truss as International Trade Secretary who signed off on the India-UK Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) for the Boris Johnson led government in May last year, which marked the starting point of the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. The 47-year-old senior Cabinet minister made visits to India and held virtual talks with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, during which she described the country as a big, major opportunity. "I see the UK and India in a sweet spot of the trade dynamics that are building up," said Truss soon after signing the ETP. "We are looking at a comprehensive trade agreement that covers everything, from financial services to legal services to digital and data, as well as goods and agriculture.

Chandrasekhar outlined the rapid strides taken by India in the field of technology, and informed that the country is designing 5G gear and manufacturing devices that go into making of 5G products.

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

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday said that both the countries (India and UK) should deepen the security and defence partnership.The British PM made the remarks while visiting the new JCB factory at Halol GIDC Panchmahal where he was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel.Referring to the security and defence partnership between the two countries, Johnson said, "There's the opportunity for us to deepen our security and defence partnership. As you know, the UK is making an Indo-Pacific tilt in our integrated review of our national defence and security strategy.""That's the right thing to do given the huge portion of the world economy and the growth of the world economy that can be found in this area. And India & UK both share anxieties about autocracies around the world, we're both democracies and we want to stick together," he added.Johnson, who landed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, visited the new JCB Tractor Factory at Halol GIDC Panchmahal.UK Prime ...

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

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

A new India-UK Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP) will cover the whole spectrum of immigration issues, says Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel

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

Johnson will visit India from April 25

After New Delhi summoned the UK envoy over discussion on agricultural reforms in India, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor justified the debate, saying in a democracy you are free to discuss whatever you want

The Conservative Party manifesto also made a categorical reference to India as a dynamic economy.

UK was creating tech clusters in India to build these technologies and bring their applications to the market, British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith told Peerzada Abrar in an interview