London: UK Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle will visit New Delhi this week to ramp up the implementation of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and unlock a “timely boost” for both economies, the British government said Monday.
Kyle is set to arrive in New Delhi Tuesday for talks with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, which will be focussed on bringing the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) dubbed a “priority for both governments” into force “as quickly as possible”.
The trade deal, expected to significantly boost the two-way trade partnership worth 48 billion pounds a year, had hit some delays over Britain’s upcoming steel import restrictions.
“From whisky to automotives, this landmark deal will unlock massive opportunities for businesses and consumers in the UK and India,” Kyle said in a pre-visit statement.
The senior Cabinet minister stated that his visit to Delhi will help “progress implementing this win-win agreement, which is worth billions to our economies”.
“I look forward to working with Piyush Goyal to make sure everybody can start to feel the benefits as soon as possible,” he added.
The UK government said the Business and Trade Secretary’s visit to India at a time of rapid global change signals the country’s determination to unlock the next phase of its modern economic partnership with India, so it can deliver growth for people in both countries.
The FTA will liberalise 99 per cent of UK tariffs and 90 per cent of Indian tariffs, supporting cheaper, quicker, and easier exports and trade between our markets, it stated.
While in New Delhi, Kyle will also meet Indian and British industry leaders with the aim of supporting businesses to prepare for the CETA coming into force.
“The UK-India FTA is the biggest and most economically significant bilateral trade deal the UK has agreed since leaving the European Union. It covers 30 chapters including standalone chapters on gender, innovation, environment, and labour making it one of the most comprehensive trade deals that India has ever signed,” reads a UK government statement.
Kyle’s visit this week coincides with fellow Cabinet minister, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who is set to arrive in India from China for talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday.
The British government noted that as global conflicts, including the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, cause economic shocks across the world’s biggest economies, it sees advancing the UK’s “vital economic partnership with India as a key priority, with significant mutual benefits”.
Kyle’s visit to India this week follows a high-powered UK trade mission to Mumbai in October last year.
At the time, he was part of the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer-led delegation of 125 of the country’s leading CEOs, entrepreneurs and business leaders to unlock significant opportunities for businesses across numerous sectors in India.
The trade delegation built on the signing of the India-UK CETA and ‘Vision 2035’ during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK in July 2025.
According to the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) projections, the India-UK FTA could increase yearly bilateral trade by 25.5 billion pounds and boost GDP by nearly 5 billion pounds each in the long run for both countries.
PTI
