Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, said the Keir Starmer government is ready to restart Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with India. He described the FTA as an “ongoing process” and noted that the UK completed its internal review in July.
After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 Summit in Brazil, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that FTA talks between the UK and India would relaunch in 2025.
Speaking to ANI, Doraiswami said, “The FTA is an ongoing process. The government that came to power here in the UK in July completed their internal review and is now ready to restart negotiations. We welcome that. Let’s not prejudice what happens in the negotiations because the negotiations have to restart. Let’s see what happens beyond that.”
He highlighted the growing bilateral trade between the two nations and expressed optimism about the negotiations. “The movement of goods and services between us continues to grow and our investments continue to be significant in each other’s economies,” he added.
On November 22, Richard Heald, Chair of the UK-India Business Council (UKIBC), spoke about the transformative potential of the FTA for businesses and trade. He emphasized its role in simplifying processes between the two countries.
“If you look at those companies who are not here (India), then the FTA will make a difference. It (FTA) will make it easier and more comforting to come here to India and to get embedded,” Heald stated.
