India, UK to Restart Trade Negotiations

India and the UK will restart free trade talks on Monday, nearly a year after negotiations were paused ahead of general elections in both countries.

According to the BBC, Jonathan Reynolds, the UK’s business and trade secretary, is in Delhi, where he will meet his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal to kick off the two-day discussions.

Ahead of the meeting, Reynolds said it was a no-brainer to seek a trade deal with India, which was forecast to become the world’s third-largest economy in a few years.

The countries have held more than a dozen rounds of negotiations since 2022, but an agreement has remained out of reach.

Sticking points include high tariffs in India on Scotch whisky and demands to relax fees and visa rules for Indian students and professionals going to the UK.

Talks are being held for the first time after the Labour Party came to power in the UK and Reynolds says securing a deal is a top priority for his government.