India-uk

Business activity between India, UK flourishes in 2024, shows HSBC data

Business activity between the UK and India has flourished in 2024 as the value of payments received by clients in Britain from India rose by 121 per cent, according to the latest data released by HSBC UK. The multinational bank, which highlighted the figures based on its two-way support for businesses within the India-UK corridor this week, said its data on payments and client referrals showed year-on-year growth. In the nine months to October 2024, the value of payments made by HSBC UK business clients to India reportedly rose by 32 per cent and the bank received 36 per cent more new business client referrals from HSBC India year-on-year. Our data shows that business between the UK and India is not only strong, it's getting even stronger, and the opportunities for expanding businesses in India are huge, said Cora McLaren, Head of International Subsidiary Banking at HSBC UK. India's population is not only a vast number of potential customers, within it there is a growing middle cla

UK-India business boosted by prospect of free trade agreement, says HSBC

In the nine months to October, HSBC's UK unit received 36 per cent more business client referrals from its arm in India

Beyond the missed deadlines, India-UK FTA talks at a tricky turning point

India and the UK are set to relaunch free trade agreement talks next month under Keir Starmer's Labour Party, facing critical challenges including unresolved issues and shifting political priorities

India a very important business partner: UK Warwick Group Dean Robin Clark

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav visited the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), at Warwick University in London, UK and interacted with Professor Robin Clark

FTA an ongoing process, UK govt ready to restart negotiations: Indian envoy

Following a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Brazil, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the relaunch of FTA talks in 2025

EAM Jaishankar meets counterparts from UK, France and Ukraine in Rome

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met his counterparts from several countries, including the UK, France and Ukraine, here and discussed ways to deepen cooperation in multiple sectors as well as regional and international developments. Jaishankar, who arrived here on Sunday on a three-day visit, started the day by meeting British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Rome. "Appreciate the steady momentum in India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Discussed deepening cooperation in technology, green energy, trade, mobility, as well as ongoing developments in Indo-Pacific and West Asia," he said in a post on X. He also met France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and discussed Indo-Pacific, Ukraine and global issues. "Nice to meet FM @jnbarrot of France in Rome today. A useful stock taking of our bilateral partnership. Also discussed Indo-Pacific, Ukraine and global issues," the minister said in another post on X. Jaishankar also held a useful exchange with Foreign

India-UK FTA talks likely to restart in January amid complex issues

Issues like labour, environment remain tricky as talks may begin in Jan

India-UK FTA talks: Both sides seek to bridge gaps to close deal swiftly

India and the UK would seek to bridge the differences for expeditious conclusion of the proposed free trade agreement as Britain has announced resuming the negotiations early next year, an official statement said on Wednesday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that trade talks with India will relaunch in the new year, following his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in Brazil. Starmer and Modi met on the sidelines of the summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, after which Downing Street said the UK will seek a new strategic partnership with India, including a trade agreement. The India-UK talks for the proposed FTA began in January 2022. The 14th round of talks stalled as the two nations stepped into their general election cycles. "We welcome the announcement by the UK to relaunch the India-UK free trade talks in the new year," the commerce ministry said. Noting the importance for securing a balanced, mutually beneficial and forward .

UK ex-PM Johnson showers praise on 'changemaker' PM Modi in new memoir

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson is all praise for change-maker Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a new memoir that reflects upon his eventful political career and recalls a curious astral energy that he felt on his very first meeting with the Indian leader. 'Unleashed', which hit the shelves in the UK this week, devotes a whole chapter to Britain's relationship with India as a relationship as good as it has ever been. Repeatedly stressing the strong India-UK friendship in the context of the Indo-Pacific, the former prime minister credits himself for setting the course for a proper free-trade deal with India thanks to finding "exactly the partner and friend" needed with Modi. For some reason, we went down to stand in the dark in the plaza by Tower Bridge, in front of a crowd of his supporters, shares Johnson in the chapter entitled Britain and India', referencing his first meeting with Modi during a visit to his City Hall office by the river Thames when he was Mayor of ...

India backs Rules of Origin in auto sector under India, UK trade pact

India is insisting on strict adherence to the Rules of Origin' during free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with the UK in the automobile sector, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal on Tuesday said. He said that the 'Rules of Origin' have to be such that they do not impact the Indian automobile sector negatively. "FTA with the UK is in the pipeline...we are negotiating. We are also very keen to see that not only do we open up the automobile market, but we also see that we do not unduly lose the level playing field vis-a-vis the UK. "And we looked at their Rules of Origin very, very closely. We negotiated with them (the UK), and we told them that Rules of Origin have to be such that they do not impact negatively our automobile sector market," Barthwal said here while addressing leaders of the auto industry. The 'Rules of Origin' provision prescribes minimal processing that should happen in the FTA country, the UK in this case, so that the final manufactured product may be called ...

India-UK FTA within finger-touching distance, says NITI Aayog CEO

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) being negotiated between India and the UK is in the final stages with both sides within finger-touching distance to clinch an agreement, NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam said here on Wednesday. The FTA, negotiations for which were launched in January 2022 before being stalled due to general elections in both countries, is aimed at significantly enhancing the estimated GBP 38.1 billion a year bilateral trading partnership. During the signing ceremony for the new UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge (UKIIFB) agreement, both sides were keen to stress that the bilateral partnership is not being held hostage to the FTA even as the newly elected governments on both sides remain committed to it. "I think this is a deal that is in the last slab. The two sides I would say are not even at hand-shaking distance, the fingers are touching. It's just a question of that extra five inches and you can grab the deal, Subrahmanyam said while addressing a panel ...

India, UK explore green technology for recycling critical minerals

This initiative is designed to enhance the sustainability of critical mineral supply chains from exploration, mining, smelting, processing, and recycling

Negotiating teams to restart FTA talks with India as soon as possible: UK

The process of getting negotiating teams back in the room will kick-start soon to deliver a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India, the UK's newly elected Labour government announced on Monday as it set out its trading priorities. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds spelt out his department's approach to international trade deals, which he said will put economic growth at the heart of the negotiations to achieve high-quality pacts that give British businesses access to international markets and boost jobs. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said it also plans to publish a trade strategy which aligns with the government's industrial strategy, enhances economic security and supports net zero ambitions. Boosting trade abroad is essential to deliver a strong economy at home. That's why I've wasted no time taking stock of progress and getting ready to press on with trade talks with our international partners, said Reynolds. From the Gulf to India, our trade programme

India-UK FTA: UKIBC chief Mccole hopeful of signing some deal quickly

Reiterating the UK Foreign Secretary's statement, he noted that David Lammy sees FTA as a "floor" for both countries' trade and investment relationship

India-UK unveil futuristic Technology Security Initiative; to seal FTA soon

India and the UK on Wednesday firmed up a landmark technology security initiative that sets out a bold new approach for collaboration in a range of "priority" sectors including telecom, critical minerals, semiconductors and artificial intelligence, with a broader aim to elevate their strategic partnership to the next level. The decision on the UK-India Technology Security Initiative was made public following wide-ranging talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his visiting British counterpart David Lammy. In the discussions, both sides appreciated the "substantial" progress made in the India-UK FTA negotiations and looked forward to its "early conclusion" to achieve a mutually beneficial deal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. It is learnt that the Indian side, during the talks, flagged its concerns over activities of pro-Khalistan elements in the UK while the British side raised the issue of Christian Michel, the key accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP ..

India-UK relationship has enormous possibilities, says EAM Jaishankar

The India-UK relationship has enormous possibilities and realising them meaningfully is the task at hand, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday during talks with his British counterpart David Lammy that focused on galvanising the ties including to push for a free trade pact. Lammy is on a two-day visit to India primarily to reset the overall partnership between the two countries in crucial areas such as trade, defence and security, clean energy, new technologies, digital domain and mobility of people. The British foreign secretary called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said India remains committed to elevating its ties with the UK and welcomes the desire to conclude a mutually beneficial free trade pact. Lammy's visit to New Delhi is the first high-level engagement between India and the UK after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government came to power on July 5. "I do believe that our relationship, it is a very important relationship at the enormous ...

British foreign secy David Lammy launches UK-India Tech Security Initiative

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Wednesday announced a new UK-India Technology Security Initiative during his first visit to India, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders in New Delhi. According to the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the security initiative has been agreed by the National Security Advisors (NSAs) following negotiations between both countries to expand collaboration in critical and emerging technologies across priority sectors. It will set out a bold new approach for how the UK and India work together on defining technologies across telecoms, critical minerals, AI, quantum, health/biotech, advanced materials and semiconductors. The FCDO said the tech initiative is part of a wider package of announcements the UK Foreign Secretary agreed following bilateral meetings in New Delhi, including with his counterpart External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, to "refresh the UK-India Comprehensive Strategic ...

India committed to elevating ties with UK, desire to conclude FTA: PM Modi

India remains committed to elevating its ties with the UK and welcomes the desire to conclude a mutually beneficial free trade pact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met him on Wednesday. In a post on 'X', Modi also appreciated the priority accorded by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to broaden and deepen the India-UK comprehensive strategic partnership. Lammy is on a two-day visit to India to galvanise negotiations for the trade pact and reset the overall bilateral partnership in crucial areas such as clean energy, new technologies and security. The British foreign secretary's visit to New Delhi is the first high-level engagement between India and the UK after Prime Minister Starmer's Labour government came to power on July 5. "A pleasure to meet UK FS @DavidLammy. Appreciate the priority accorded by PM @Keir_Starmer to broaden and deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," Modi said. "Remain committed to elevating the ties.

India-UK FTA negotiations floor not ceiling of ambitions: David Lammy

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Wednesday began a two-day visit to India to galvanise negotiations for an ambitious Free Trade Agreement and reset the overall bilateral partnership in crucial areas such as clean energy, new technologies and security. As he embarked on the high-profile trip, Lammy described the negotiations for the trade deal as the floor and not the ceiling of the ambitions to unlock shared potential and deliver growth. The British foreign secretary's visit to New Delhi is the first high-level engagement between India and the UK after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government came to power on July 5. "India is the emerging superpower of the 21st century, the largest country in the world with 1.4 billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world," Lammy said. "Our Free Trade Agreement negotiations is the floor not the ceiling of our ambitions to unlock our shared potential and deliver growth, from Bengaluru to Birmingham," he said.

Trumpets & tradition on display as King Charles presides over Parl opening

King Charles III will officially open the new session of Parliament on Wednesday, donning his ceremonial robes and the crown of state to deliver a speech laying out the legislative program of the U.K.'s first left-leaning government in 14 years. The state opening of Parliament is one of the traditional set pieces of the political year, showcasing through carefully choreographed pageantry Britain's evolution from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary democracy where real power is vested in the elected House of Commons. Here's a brief look at the history of the King's Speech and how it unfolds. What is the King's Speech? In simple terms, it is a speech that lays out the government's legislative program for the coming year. The speech is written by the elected government, currently led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and delivered by the king during a joint session of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The event is a symbol of the monarch's constitutional role as head of