UK delegation meets top govt officials in final push for trade agreement

For India, the cut-off date is model code of conduct. Talks will stop once it sets in

A UK delegation led by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s chief economic adviser Douglas McNeill is currently engaged in week-long deliberations with top government officials here in a last-ditch attempt to stitch together a free trade deal with India, people in the know said on Thursday. However, the possibility of finalising a deal looks bleak.

Since the beginning of the week, McNeill met top officials at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth and Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal to discuss matters related to the proposed free trade