Union Minister Piyush Goyal on 2-day visit to UK to boost India-UK Free Trade Agreement
New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, is on a two-day official visit to United Kingdom from Wednesday to take part in key meetings related to the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
This high-level visit highlights India's growing efforts to strengthen its trade and investment partnership with the UK. It comes shortly after the India-UK FTA was announced by the Prime Ministers of both countries last month. The visit is seen as a significant step towards pushing forward the agreement and making use of the growing momentum in bilateral trade talks.
According to official sources, the Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with the UK's Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds. They will review the progress made by the negotiating teams and set a clear and time-bound plan to finalise and implement the FTA.
The Minister will also meet the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, to discuss broader macroeconomic priorities and ways to improve investment flows between the two nations.
A separate meeting is also planned with Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, to explore opportunities in creative and cultural partnerships.
Apart from government meetings, the Minister will attend multiple sessions at the India Global Forum (IGF), including the Mainstage Plenary Session, the Future Frontiers Forum, and a roundtable discussion titled 'From Agreement to Action: UK-India FTA'.
These events are expected to bring together global leaders, investors, and policy experts to discuss the growing importance of the India-UK economic corridor and the opportunities the FTA can unlock.
Business engagement is also a key part of the visit. The Minister is expected to interact with business leaders from important sectors such as shipping, fintech, logistics, and advanced manufacturing.
This visit comes at a crucial time for India-UK relations, as both countries aim to move from policy announcements to concrete actions.
The meetings and discussions are expected to deepen mutual trust, strengthen trade ties, and build a future-ready economic partnership based on inclusive and sustainable growth. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Despite severe pollution, Delhi used only a third of funds allocated under National Clean Air Programme
Delhi, grappling with severe pollution, has utilised only a fraction of the funds allocated under the National Clean Air Programme. Launched in 2019, the program aims to reduce PM10 pollution significantly by 2026. However, numerous cities, including Noida, Faridabad, and Visakhapatnam, have also shown low fund utilisation, raising concerns about the program's effectiveness. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in India, has used less than one-third of the funds it received under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), according to government in 2019, the NCAP is India's first national plan to set clean air targets. It aims to reduce PM10 pollution by 40 per cent in 130 highly polluted cities by 2026, using 2019-20 as the base ministry data showed that Delhi spent just Rs 13.94 crore, 32.65 per cent of the Rs 42.69 crore released to it under the NCAP.A total of 14 cities and urban agglomerations have spent less than 50 per cent of the funds they received under the programme, either directly from the environment ministry or through the 15th Finance in Uttar Pradesh, another major pollution hotspot in the National Capital Region, has spent only Rs 3.44 crore of the Rs 30.89 crore given to it for air pollution control. Faridabad in Haryana spent Rs 28.60 crore of the Rs 107.14 crore it in Andhra Pradesh used Rs 39.42 crore out of the Rs 129.25 crore allocated to it. Jalandhar in Punjab spent Rs 17.65 crore of the Rs 45.44 crore given to it, while Gulbarga in Karnataka used Rs 8.98 crore of the Rs 23.48 crore it cities with low utilisation include Pathankot (37.1 per cent), Ujjain (37.7 per cent), Karnataka's Devanagere (43.6 per cent), Assam's Nagaon (48.5 per cent), Vijayawada (41.09 per cent), Jamshedpur (44.24 per cent) and Varanasi (48.85 per cent).Of the total Rs 12,636 crore allocated to 130 cities under the NCAP since its launch, only Rs 8,981 crore, around 71 per cent, has been spent as of May the cities covered under the NCAP, 82 receive direct funding from the Union environment ministry, while 48 cities and urban agglomerations with populations over one million receive funds through the 15th Finance 82 cities spent Rs 1,268 crore, 78.5 per cent of the Rs 1,615.47 crore allocated to them. The 48 cities receiving money under the 15th Finance Commission used Rs 7,713 crore, 70 per cent of the Rs 11,020 crore allocated.
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
No commissions! Ola launches new zero percent model in India; entire fare earnings to go to drivers
Ola claims that it is now India's first ride-hailing service to completely remove commission charges. The fare for your next trip on an Ola will go entirely to the driver. Ola has announced nationwide implementation of a zero percent commission structure, enabling drivers across its auto, bike, and cab services to keep their entire fare earnings. The implementation was conducted systematically, beginning with auto services, then bike services, and finally extending to cab services. Ola claims that it is now India's first ride-hailing service to completely remove commission charges. Drivers now have the flexibility to select their preferred plans whilst retaining their complete earnings, without any reductions or earning limitations. An Ola Consumer spokesperson told ET, "The launch of the zero percent commission model pan-India marks a fundamental shift in the ride-hailing business. Removing commissions empowers driver partners with much more ownership and opportunity." According to a previous report in the financial daily, Ola and Uber have adopted a subscription-based fee structure, previously introduced by Namma Yatri and Swiggy-backed Rapido, for auto rickshaw drivers. This system replaces traditional per-trip commission or booking fees with fixed daily or weekly charges, providing drivers unlimited ride access. A Telangana-based organisation representing gig workers expressed scepticism about the overall effectiveness of the latest initiative. "All aggregator companies charge subscription fees—before the ride, you must recharge. They may be removing commissions, but they already charged subscription fees from the riders," said Shaik Salauddin, founder president of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union. As part of its expansion beyond transport services into automated warehousing, Ola Credit, and Ola Pay, Ola rebranded its ride-hailing division as Ola Consumer in the previous year. The company, under Bhavish Aggarwal's leadership, has seen declining revenues and multiple high-level departures during the past year. Its revenue from operations and other income across ride-hailing, financial services, and logistics decreased to Rs 2,368 crore in FY24 from Rs 3,000 crore in FY23. In December 2024, two veteran executives, Suvonil Chatterjee, chief technology and product officer, and Anshul Khandelwal, chief marketing officer, departed Ola Electric. Both executives had previously worked at Ola Cabs before joining the EV division. The company has also attracted regulatory attention. In January 2025, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) sent notices to Ola and other ride-hailing companies regarding price differences between Android and iPhone users. In May, Union consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi announced that the CCPA had broadened its investigation of the advance tipping feature to include Ola Cabs and Rapido, following an earlier notice to Uber. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
FASTag Annual Pass to make National Highway cheaper: What travellers need to know
Good news coming for travellers! In a bid to ease highway traffic and streamline highway travel, Nitin Gadkari , Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, has made a huge announcement. The minister has announced a FASTag-based yearly pass for which vehicle-owners will have to pay INR 3,000. The new initiative is set to be launched on August 15, 2025. The main objective of this initiative is to offer comfortable and pocket-friendly travel for private vehicle owners across national highways in India. The minister took to X and mentioned: 'The Annual Pass will enable seamless and cost-effective travel across National Highways throughout the country. A dedicated link for activation and renewal will soon be made available on the Rajmarg Yatra App as well as on the official websites of NHAI and MoRTH.' He further mentioned, 'By reducing wait times, easing congestion, and minimizing disputes at toll plazas, the Annual Pass aims to deliver a faster and smoother travel experience for millions of private vehicle owners.' Quick facts about the new pass 1) The new pass is exclusively designed for non-commercial private vehicles. These include cars, jeeps, and vans. Those who opt for a yearly pass can enjoy unlimited toll-free travel for one year or up to 200 trips (whichever comes first). 2) This also looks like a valid solution for concerns regarding toll plazas which are within a 60 km range. The new pass system simplifies toll payments through a single, budget transaction. How to activate the pass Vehicle owners can activate/renew the pass simply: 1) By visiting the Rajmarg Yatra App 2) By visiting official websites of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Future expectations It is expected that the introduction of the new FASTag annual pass will reduce traffic at toll plazas along with minimising disputes. It will add to the overall travel experience for millions of private vehicle owners. About FASTag system in India So those who don't know, the FASTag system covers over 1,200 toll plazas across the country. It comprises National Highway and State Highway toll plazas. A major part of toll transactions are now being done digitally using FASTag. At select locations, there are even barrier-less tolling systems available where ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) with FASTag technology is working efficiently. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
