‘We are not going to be tied to a deadline on India-UK FTA'

In an e-mail interaction with DH’s Arup Roychoudhury, British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron said that the aim will be for a mutually beneficial FTA, even if it takes a little while longer.

The pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom, the negotiations for which are expected to resume early next year, will be a complex initiative, and the UK is not approaching the talks with any deadline in mind, the British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, said. In an e-mail interaction with DH’s Arup Roychoudhury, Cameron said that the aim will be for a mutually beneficial FTA, even if it takes a little while longer. Excerpts:

I would like to start with the India-UK FTA. Now that the new Labour government is in place, where do you expect the negotiations to go from here?

The foreign secretary was in India within three weeks of taking office—a clear signal about this government’s ambition for the partnership with India. We think that there’s real potential to get even more trade, investment, and growth for both the UK and India from this partnership. Prime Ministers Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi had an extremely productive meeting at the G20 Summit in Brazil in the past few days. They agreed to take the relationship to new heights, including relaunching UK-India trade talks early next year. So we can expect more to come soon in relation to the talks getting back up and running.

When do you think both nations will be able to sign the final draft?

Trade deals are complex and take time and consideration from both sides, more so when negotiating a deal between two of the world’s biggest economies. The UK-India trade and investment relationship is already worth £42 billion—up nearly 10% from last year, supporting over 600,000 jobs across both countries. There is a clear signal from the very top of the UK government that we will continue working towards a mutually beneficial deal, even if it takes a little while longer. We are not going to be tied to a deadline—what’s most important to British and Indian people alike is getting a deal that provides tangible benefits to our economies.

In July, India and the UK signed the Technology Security Initiative. Can you elaborate on how this will work on the ground?

The TSI sets out a bold new approach for how the UK and India work together on the defining technologies of this decade—from critical minerals to AI. Technology moves fast, and this agreement helps the UK and India to together take advantage of developments in areas such as AI and semiconductors.

I’m also extremely proud of the numerous exciting collaborations we have in Karnataka. This includes the AI-focused work at IISc with biotechnology and research on advanced two-dimensional and atomically thin materials and nanotechnology.

Which other sectors are India and the UK jointly looking to work on? Are there similar agreements on defence or IT, AI, etc., on the cards?

The UK and India share a comprehensive strategic partnership, and we’re going to enhance this further. That means we work together across a broad range of areas, including, for example, defence, where our collaboration extends across the land, air, and seas. One such example was the British and Indian armies training together, with the last edition of the Ajeya Warrior exercise witnessing soldiers from the Indian Army’s Bihar Battalion training alongside the British Army’s Gurkha Rifles in Wiltshire.

India plays a crucial role in this region, and we continue to work closely, especially on the maritime front.

How are India and the UK working together on climate initiatives?

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at the COP29 in Baku that there is no national security, economic security, or global security without climate security. The UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge, operationalised earlier this year, is a testament to our partnership, and the process of identifying renewable energy projects under that is already underway. India has made big climate commitments, particularly on renewables, and while the energy transition challenges are significant, the UK is its long-standing partner.

The UK government is working with India in many other ways to address the global challenges of climate change, including on initiatives like the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

With a change in government, will there be any tweak in migration and visa laws?

Visa application numbers from India tell a compelling story of the depth and breadth of our relationship. Indian nationals continue to receive the largest share of visas to visit, study, and work in the UK. There are no caps on visa application numbers, including for international students from India. In fact, India is home to the UK’s largest Chevening scholarships programme. And Indian nationals received 26% of all UK study visas issued globally in the year ending June 2024.

The Young Professionals Scheme offers both UK and Indian nationals aged 18-30 the opportunity to live, study, travel, and work in the other country for up to 24 months. We are expanding the temporary biometric enrolment footprint for UK visa applications across India—to the highest number for any country.