India-UK FTA: Big gains for Indians? New visa route, exemptions from social security payments
The India-UK FTA marks a significant milestone in India's engagement with major developed economies. "UK rolls out the red carpet for 'Made In India'," Piyush Goyal posted on X. The agreement is expected to boost the bilateral trade between the two countries by $34 billion annually.
"Big overseas avenues open up for India's skilled workforce," the government said, adding that the agreement provides greater market access in IT and IT-enabled services, financial and legal services, professional and educational services, and digital trade.
Indian professionals, including those deployed by companies to work in the UK across all service sectors, professionals deployed on contracts such as architects, engineers, chefs, yoga instructors, and musicians, will benefit from simplified visa procedures and liberalised entry categories, making it easier for talent to work in the UK.
1. 75,000 Indian professionals are exempted from UK social security payment for 3 years. Indian professionals can work in 35 UK sectors for 24 months, even without a UK office. More than 1800 chefs, yoga experts and musicians can work in the UK each year.
2. Independent professionals and service providers in sectors such as IT, engineering, and architecture will be allowed to work in the UK for up to 12 months. Applicants must meet UK immigration requirements, including salary thresholds and documentation, to be eligible.
3. Access to 36 service sectors with no economic needs test for Indian firms and freelancers
4. Indian investors and graduate trainees will also continue to benefit from existing UK schemes, with eligibility subject to prevailing immigration rules.
Nearly 1000% of India's trade value will be duty free
1. Indian exporters, particularly in textiles and apparel, are expected to gain from tariff reductions. Firms such as Welspun India, Arvind Ltd, Raymond, and Vardhman may benefit from duty-free access to the UK market.
2. From 16% to zero: Duty free access for leather and footwear
3. Duty-free access to UK's gems and jewellery market
1. Zero duty market access for Indian generic drugs.
2. 'Made in India' medical devices will attract no duty. Surgical instruments, diagnostic equipment, ECG machines, X-Ray systems exports to gain.
The government anticipates more income to farmers and increased rural employment.
1. 99% of Indian exports to the UK will enjoy zero-duty access
2. Indian farmers get access to the UK's $37.5 billion agri-market and premium buyers. The FTA also ensures duty-free exports on nearly 95% of agricultural products, while fisherfolk gain from Zero Duty on 99% of marine exports, boosting their incomes.
3. Duty-free access for our instant coffee, tea, spices, and rubber, and processed goods like mango, pulp, pickles, pulses and ready to eat meals. Exports of Darjeeling tea from West Bengal and Araku coffee from Andhra Pradesh are likely to soar.
4. No tariff concession on sensitive sectors (Dairy, oats, apples, edible oils). This agreement will also provide Indian consumers high-quality goods at competitive prices.
5. Zero-duty for 99% of marine exports. Coastal states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat to benefit from export-led job creation.
6. Indian fishermen to have greater expansion opportunity into the UK's $5.4 billion marine market.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
In India's first outreach to post-Assad regime, MEA Joint Secretary meets Syrian Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani
Marking a fresh beginning in ties with Damascus in the post-Assad era, India reached out to the Syrian provisional government under the leadership of President Ahmed Hussein Al-Sharaa this week. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Joint Secretary Suresh Kumar, of the West Asia and North Africa division, met with the Syrian provisional government's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani on Monday (July 28, 2025) in Damascus, according to officials here. Sources said he was accompanied by several other Indian officials, including the Indian Ambassador to Syria, Irshad Ahmed. Both teams held 'constructive dialogue on issues of mutual interest and explored new avenues to strengthen bilateral ties for the benefit of both nations', Syria's Foreign Ministry said on its official Telegram channel. This is India's first outreach to Syria since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, who was ousted in December 2024 after a quarter century in power. India had maintained close ties with the Syrian Arab Republic under his rule and that of his father Hafiz Al Assad, who was President for three decades, from 1970 onwards. Since the end of the Assad era though, India has been championing a 'Syrian-led' government to resolve the political crisis that has gripped the country. Medical aid Apart from his meeting with the Syrian Foreign Minister, Mr. Kumar also met Syrian Health Minister Musab Al-Ali. Syria has a large war-affected population in need of urgent medical care and the two sides discussed cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector and in the training of medical personnel to help the affected population. In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India had also handed over a 'consignment of 5 MT of essential life saving medicines, including anti-cancer, antibiotics and anti-hypertensives to Syria'. He added: 'India's humanitarian support to the people of Syria continues.' Pharma cooperation had also featured in the India-Syria Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) of November 2024 — barely a week before Mr. Assad's ouster — when Mr. Kumar had led the Indian delegation in talks with a Syrian team led by the Assad regime's Deputy Foreign Minister Ayman Raad. Seeking global legitimacy Mr. Kumar's current meetings come against the backdrop of increased internal strife in Syria, with various political, religious, and sectarian groups fighting for control in Damascus since the fall of the Assad government on December 8, 2024. Syria's current provisional government is headed by Ahmed Hussein Al-Shara, a former Al Qaeda leader who also led the Al Qaeda-allied Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a terrorist group. He is also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad Al Jolani. Since the fall of the Assad regime, several governments have reached out to President Al Shara as Syria grapples with internal and external challenges. In recent months, the Foreign Minister, Mr. Al Shaibani has met a number of foreign delegates, including the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Turkiye, as the provisional government seeks global legitimacy. Recharging Syria policy Reacting to the meeting in Damascus, former Indian diplomat Zikrur Rahman said that India's outreach is in sync with its policy of wait and watch regarding Syria. 'India has not evacuated its embassy in Damascus since the crisis in Syria escalated and ended with the fall of the government of Bashar Al Assad. Therefore, it was a matter of time before India would formally reach out to the new rulers in Damascus and recharge its Syria policy in consultation with other regional partners like the Gulf countries,' said Prof Rahman. Syria is expected to adopt a new Constitution and India has supported the drafting of an inclusive Constitution. India's policy on the future of Syria has been reiterated on multiple occasions since the fall of the Assad government. A day after Mr. Assad fled to Moscow, the MEA's Mr. Jaiswal had said: 'We underline the need for all parties to work towards preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. We advocate a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process respecting the interests and aspirations of all sections of Syrian society.'
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Boeing/Saab in talks with BAE on UK jet trainer bid, sources say
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel PARIS/LONDON, - Boeing and Sweden's Saab are in talks with Britain's BAE Systems about teaming up on a future replacement of Britain's Hawk trainer in a growing niche of the fast jet industry, three people familiar with the matter and Saab have jointly developed the T-7 advanced trainer for the U.S. Air Force, while Britain has said it plans to replace its out-of-production Hawk fleet, part of which is instantly recognisable through its Red Arrows display are at an early stage and details are still to be worked out, with no guarantee that an agreement can be reached, one of the sources said."We don't comment on rumour and speculation," said a spokesperson for BAE Systems, whose corporate predecessor developed the successful Hawk trainer in the early 1970s."Training remains an important pillar of our air sector strategy. We continue to explore and develop our footprint in this area across both live and synthetic capabilities."A Saab spokesperson said: "We have a long-term partnership with Boeing on the co-development of T-7. Saab will not comment on rumours or speculation."Boeing had no immediate June, a UK defence strategy review recommended that the Hawk be replaced, and the government said it would welcome interest from UK-based has said it has not decided whether to develop a new jet to replace the Hawk, whose production line closed in was not immediately clear whether any potential co-operation would be restricted to the UK contest or eventually seek to take advantage of BAE's incumbency in the wider export market, where over 1,000 Hawks have been sold to 18 of the sources said it was premature to think beyond the British for nimble trainers is to U.S.-based consultancy AeroDynamic Advisory, the market for military trainer aircraft is expected to rise to $3.7 billion in 2030 from $2.8 billion, excluding substantial related spending on support, sustainment and training suppliers include the Boeing-Saab T-7, Leonardo's Aermacchi M-346 and the Korea Aerospace Industries T-50 Golden a privately owned early-stage British company, has designed a new jet trainer that it says could replace the analysts have expressed concerns, however, that the case for an all-new fleet is being driven in part by Britain's Red Arrows, a diplomatic symbol abroad and a popular feature of royal events at home. Their jets are due to retire in publication Defence Eye reported last week that Britain is looking at buying a first batch of new trainers over the next five years to replace the Red Arrows' Hawk T1s, followed by a larger second batch of T2 replacements in the late 2030s."A major complicating factor is the need for the Red Arrows aircraft to be British-designed, or at least British-assembled, to allow the aircraft to act as a promotional tool for the UK aerospace industry," the report by UK defence expert Tim Ripley choice of trainer also has potential implications in the bigger global market for fighter defence committee has warned the T2 will not meet training requirements for future fighters envisaged by Britain, Japan and Italy known as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).For Boeing and Saab, a UK sale would not only provide a key European market, but could potentially mean getting a toe-hold in the training requirements for GCAP and generate potential future trainer business from exports of the combat BAE, having a ready-made trainer could be one extra marketing point for its future combat jet system, Ripley said."It would increase the value that you can export with GCAP," he told the other hand, analysts say BAE's existing Italian partner in GCAP, Leonardo, is likely to press the industrial and strategic case of its own M-346 as the GCAP trainer of could not immediately be reached for comment.
News18
43 minutes ago
- News18
'No Mention Of Trump Or China': Rahul Gandhi On PM Modi's Op Sindoor Speech
Rahul Gandhi criticized PM Modi's Lok Sabha speech, noting he didn't mention Trump or China during the Operation Sindoor debate Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Friday reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in Lok Sabha during the Operation Sindoor debate and said he did not mention US President Donald Trump or China. 'He never said it clearly that Trump was lying… In his entire speech, not once did he mention China. The whole nation knows that China helped Pakistan in every way, but the Prime Minister and Defence Minister never named China anywhere in their speeches," Gandhi said while speaking to reporters outside Parliament in New Delhi. In his speech, PM Modi said no world leader had asked India to stop the conflict with Pakistan. However, the PM did not name Trump, who has been repeatedly claiming to have stopped multiple conflicts, including India-Pakistan. 'No leader in the world asked India to stop its operation. On the night of the 9th (May 2025), during that time, the Vice President of the United States tried to get in touch with me. He kept trying for almost an hour, but I was in a meeting with our armed forces and couldn't take his call. Later, I called him informed me that Pakistan was planning a major attack. That's what he told me directly. My response (though some may not understand it) was clear: if Pakistan intends to carry out such an attack, it will have to pay a very heavy price. That's exactly what I told the U.S. Vice President," he said. The Prime Minister also accused Congress of spreading Pakistan's propaganda. 'On May 10, India decided to stop Operation Sindoor. Some people questioned the Indian forces and the operation itself. This propaganda was spread by Pakistan, and these individuals supported it by spreading falsehoods within India," he added. 'Ab Congress ka bharosa Pakistan ke remote control se banta hai'. Those who have some stature in Congress lack courage, and hence, they use newer leaders to speak absurd things. One leader of Congress called Operation Sindoor a 'tamasha' in the House," he added. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
