 "PM Narendra Modi will hold wide-ranging discussions with his UK counterpart, Keir Starmer, on the entire gamut of India-UK bilateral relations. (Image: AFP/File)")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in London during the early hours of Thursday (July 24). He is on a two-day visit to the UK and is seeking to strengthen defence, trade and technology ties.
The formalisation of a long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA) is expected to dominate the agenda. The agreement, hailed as a landmark development, is likely to provide a major boost to economic ties between the two nations.
Trade minister Piyush Goyal will accompany Modi for the formal signing.
This will be Modi’s fourth visit to the UK since he took office in 2014. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss trade, energy, security, health and education issues.
Starmer will host Modi at Chequers, the British prime minister’s official country residence located about 50 km northwest of London. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds are expected to sign the FTA in the presence of both leaders, according to people familiar with the matter.
India and the UK reached an agreement on the FTA in May after nearly three years of negotiations. The deal will eliminate tariffs on 99 per cent of Indian exports and make it easier for British firms to sell products such as whisky and cars in the Indian market, while expanding the overall trade basket.
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View AllThe deal is expected to offer full market access for Indian goods across all sectors. Officials said tariff elimination would apply to around 99 per cent of tariff lines, covering nearly the entire trade value between the two countries.
In addition to the FTA, described as the UK’s most significant trade deal since its departure from the European Union, the two sides concluded a double contribution convention, exempting Indian employers from making social security payments in Britain for their workers.
More to come