A favourable moment

India should close trade deal with UK by targeted date

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has completed a two-day visit to India, during which he visited Gujarat and New Delhi. Mr Johnson’s trip was his first official visit to India as prime minister, and comes amid a push to conclude discussions on a free trade agreement (FTA) in less than a year. 

Talks on an FTA were formally launched in January 2022, and the joint statement issued at the end of Mr Johnson’s visit indicated that the leaders “set a target to conclude the majority of talks … by the end of October 2022”. While trade and investment was naturally a