India, UK to hold 11th round of FTA talks soon

After some hiccups following the attack on Indian High Commission in London by Khalistani extremists in March, the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and the United Kingdom are set to get momentum as the two countries conducted the 10th round of the talks from 5-9 June and agreed to sit across the negotiating table again in the coming month.

The 10th round of negotiations was conducted from 5th to 9th June in a hybrid fashion. A senior official from the government of the United Kingdom travelled to New Delhi for negotiations and others attended virtually.

“Technical discussions were held across 10 policy areas over 50 separate sessions. They included detailed draft treaty text discussions in these policy areas,” the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement on Monday.

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“The eleventh round of negotiations is due to take place in the coming month,” it said.

According to a senior official, the negotiations are set to get momentum in the coming months and the agreement is likely to be completed by the end of this year.

India and the United Kingdom started negotiations for the free trade agreement in January 2022. The two countries had set a target to conclude the deal by October 2022. But the deadline was missed.

The negotiations for a free trade deal were launched following the 'Roadmap 2030' announced jointly by the two countries after a high-level meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in May 2021. The change in government in the United Kingdom affected the progress of the negotiation.

Though the Rishi Sunak-led UK government has expressed its commitment to the FTA, the progress has been slow.

An attack by Khalistani extremists on the Indian High Commission in London in March this year led to speculations of derailment in FTA talks between the two countries. Some pro-Khalistan activists pulled down the Indian flag at the High Commission during a protest in London on March 20.

The next round of talks is likely to be held in July or August, and may give a significant boost to the negotiation. According to the senior official, the two countries are looking for a comprehensive FTA. Along with the FTA, the two countries are also negotiating a bilateral investment treaty. The two countries target to conclude both the agreements – FTA as well as the bilateral investment treaty by the end of this year.