FTA talks with India to relaunch early in 2025: U.K. PM tells Parliament

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces relaunch of Free Trade Agreement talks with India, aiming to boost bilateral trade.

The Free Trade Agreement negotiations with India — expected to significantly boost the estimated GBP 42 billion a year bilateral trade partnership — will be relaunched early in the new year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has informed the U.K. Parliament in London.

It came during his statement to update the House of Commons on Thursday (November 21, 2024) about his G-20 Summit visit to Brazil, where he said he had a “good discussion” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi among other world leaders.

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The meeting earlier this week had led to both countries agreeing to resume the election-stalled FTA talks.

“I had a good discussion with Prime Minister Modi about deepening our bilateral ties,” Mr. Starmer told the members of Parliament. “We agreed to raise the ambition of our U.K.-India comprehensive strategic partnership, which covers security, defence, technology, climate, health and education, building on the unique bonds and cultural ties between our two countries.

“Crucially, this work will start with trade and investment and I am pleased to say that we agreed to relaunch Free Trade Agreement negotiations early in the new year,” he said.

The talks had been paused in the 14th round as the general election cycles kicked in for both nations, with FTA negotiations that began under a Conservative Party government now being picked up by a Labour-led administration in charge in Britain.