Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the United Kingdom on July 23, 2025, India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, provided a detailed update on the progress of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Doraiswami confirmed that substantive negotiations on the FTA were completed on May 6, marking a significant milestone after nearly three years of discussions.

Currently, the "scrubbing work" is underway, a crucial phase involving the finalisation and legal vetting of the agreement’s text to ensure all provisions are clear and precise before signing. While he refrained from speculating on the exact timeline for the signing, Doraiswami emphasised that having the legal text fully ready is imperative before moving to the signing phase.

Following the signing, the agreement will proceed to the ratification and implementation stages, setting the stage for enhanced bilateral trade relations between India and the UK. He praised the Commerce Ministry and the High Commission teams for their dedicated efforts, highlighting the process as a reflection of the strong and evolving partnership between the two nations.

The timing of this update aligns with PM Modi’s visit at the invitation of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, where Modi will also meet King Charles III. During this visit, both leaders are expected to review their bilateral ties, discuss global and regional issues, and explore opportunities to deepen cooperation.

The India-UK partnership, upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021, has seen increased high-level interactions, and sectors such as business, technology, research, education, innovation, and the knowledge economy stand out as critical areas for collaboration.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who also briefed media earlier in New Delhi, reaffirmed that legal scrubbing remains the final step before formalising the agreement and noted that further announcements regarding the specifics would be made at an appropriate time. Overall, the progress on the FTA underscores a promising phase in India-UK relations, aiming to forge stronger economic and strategic ties in the near future.

Based On ANI Report