Whisky For Visas: India, UK Start Major Trade Talks
NDTV
New Delhi, which is notoriously reticent about lowering trade barriers and was dubbed the "tariff king" by former US president Donald Trump, wants in return to make it easier and cheaper for Indians to obtain British visas.
Britain and India began hammering out a post-Brexit trade deal on Thursday, with London seeking a cut in tariffs on Scotch whisky and greater access to the Asian giant's services and tech sectors. Delighted to launch the India-UK Free Trade Agreement talks with Secretary of State for International Trade @AnnieTrev.Have set aggressive timelines for a mutually beneficial deal that expands trade, opens new avenues of growth & creates employment.📹 https://t.co/RVJhutehvVpic.twitter.com/PnwfJzab1v
New Delhi, which is notoriously reticent about lowering trade barriers and was dubbed the "tariff king" by former US president Donald Trump, wants in return to make it easier and cheaper for Indians to obtain British visas.
A joint statement after Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and British Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan formally launched the talks in Delhi reiterated a target of doubling bilateral trade volumes by 2030.
"Both sides have agreed that we will focus initially on areas which are of mutual benefit and where there is less disagreement, and for which we have set a very aggressive timeline of next few months," Mr Goyal told reporters.
