India-UK FTA clears path for Indian talent in UK: Piyush Goyal

NEW DELHI: The recently concluded free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom would facilitate smooth mobility of skilled professionals across sectors, Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal said at the India Global Forum (IGF) 2025 in London.

London: Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal in conversation with Science Museum Director Sir Ian Blatchford during the India Global Forum in London on June 19 (PTI)

The minister reaffirmed India’s commitment to transitioning the FTA from a negotiated text into a transformative economic partnership while delivering the keynote address at the India Global Forum’s (IGF) plenary session — From Agreement to Action: The UK-India FTA, a commerce ministry statement said on Thursday. There he was joined in conversation by UK secretary of state for business and trade Jonathan Reynolds with moderation by journalist Mark Barton, the statement added.

India and the UK successfully concluded FTA negotiations on May 6 where business mobility was one of the key demands of New Delhi. The deal is currently undergoing legal scrubbing before being formally passed by the respective authorities of the two countries. Summarising key benefits of the deal on the following day, global consultancy firm EY said that it would ease mobility for professionals, including contractual service suppliers, business visitors, investors, intra-corporate transferees, and independent professionals like yoga instructors, musicians, and chefs, offering greater global mobility for aspirational young Indians.

Goyal described the FTA as a reflection of shared ambition between two vibrant democracies. He stated that the agreement not only enhances bilateral trade, but also demonstrates India’s ability to negotiate balanced and future-oriented trade frameworks aligned with its national interests, the statement said. The minister is on a high-level of.zficial visit to the UK from June 18 to 19. Outlining the next phase of implementation, he highlighted key priorities such as strengthening institutional mechanisms for joint governance, unlocking early benefits for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups, and facilitating smooth mobility of skilled professionals across sectors, it added. The minister also participated in a special session on “UK–India Science, Technology and Innovation Collaboration” at the Science Museum in London on Thursday. The session explored opportunities for UK stakeholders to contribute to India’s expanding investments in digital public infrastructure, sustainable manufacturing, and green technologies. Discussions also covered efforts to make India a global manufacturing hub through Make in India, production-linked incentive schemes, and enhancing collaboration in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, and creative industries, it said.

‘Trade deals with competitors silly’

Goyal said that 15 years ago, before his party’s government came to power, India was “more focused on doing trade agreements with countries that are our competitors”. “It really is silly, because (that is) opening up my market to my competitors, many of whom have now become the B team of China. So effectively and indirectly, I have opened up my market for goods that find their way from China into India”.