The free trade agreement between India and the United Kingdom is likely to be signed by the end of July, according to a senior government official. Both countries have already finished talks on the deal, and legal teams are now reviewing the final text.
To speed things up, India’s Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal is in London with his team. During his two-day visit, he will meet UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and other top officials. The focus of the visit is to finalise the agreement and discuss how it will be put into action after signing.
The trade deal, which took three years of on-and-off discussions, was officially wrapped up on May 6. It is expected to make Indian goods like shoes, clothes, and leather products cheaper to export to the UK by removing import taxes. In return, British products such as whisky and cars will also become more affordable in India.
Once signed, the agreement will need to be approved by the UK Parliament and India’s Cabinet. After that, it may take around a year before the deal is fully in place.
“This deal is expected to be signed by the end of July,” the official said, adding that India’s legal team is already in London going over the final version. “The full text will be shared with the public after the signing.”
Earlier this month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also visited London and spoke with Reynolds about the steps needed to bring the deal into effect.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also invited UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to visit India, showing both countries are looking to strengthen their ties beyond trade.
