India-UK FTA: What Exporters and Importers Need to Know
Updated 26 September 2026: the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was signed on 24 July 2025 and entered into force on 15 July 2026. This version replaces the tariff, rules-of-origin and impact figures in earlier versions, several of which were wrong, with the treaty text and the figures published by the UK government and India's Ministry of Commerce. The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, in force since 15 July 2026, marks a significant milestone in bilateral trade relations. UK figures put trade in goods and services between the two countries at £48.4 billion in the four quarters to the end of March 2026, making India the UK's 11th-largest trading partner, and India's own figures put merchandise trade at $25.1 billion in 2025-26. This guide explains what the agreement means for exporters and importers. Background and Negotiation Journey Following Brexit, the UK embarked on an ambitious trade agenda to establish independent trade agreements. India was identified early as a priority partner due to historical ties, diaspora connections, and complementary economic structures. Formal negotiations were launched on 13 January 2022. The two governments said they would consider an interim agreement to deliver early benefits, but none was concluded. The first round covered 26 policy areas, and the final agreement has 30 chapters spanning goods, services, digital trade, government procurement, intellectual property, labour and…
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