Today, Friday 28th January 2022, the Republic of India and the United Kingdom concluded the first round of talks over potential Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

In a statement released today, both governments said they acknowledge the importance of ensuring this first round – held virtually over 2 weeks – could proceed despite the challenges presented by the COVID pandemic.

During this round, technical experts from both sides came together for discussions in 32 separate sessions covering 26 policy areas including the trad of both goods and services and intellectual property.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan has previously said that “everything is on the table to discuss” and that f immigration rules could be relaxed for Indian citizens in the event of a deal.

The government reported that the negotiations were productive and reflected our shared ambition to secure a comprehensive deal to boost trade between the 5th and 6th largest economies in the world. The positive discussions in round one have laid the groundwork for the UK and India to make positive and efficient progress.

The second round of negotiations is due to take place on 7-18 March 2022.

Chief Negotiators will continue to consider the benefits of an Interim Agreement.