UK politics likely to push back FTA talks with India beyond Diwali

Keen to set its own economic course after Brexit, the UK was eager to quickly finalise a trade deal with India

The political storm in the UK is likely to delay the talks for an ambitious free trade agreement (FTA) with India, according to a senior government official. With UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation on Thursday following a spree of exits by ministers and other lawmakers, the Diwali deadline to conclude the bilateral FTA talks could be derailed, the official said.        

“However, given the cordial relationship between the two countries, we don’t see any major hurdle in finalizing an FTA,” the official explained.

Jayant Krishna, former group CEO at UK-India Business Council, said Johnson’s resignation would be