India and the United Kingdom have taken a major step in building a stronger economic partnership with the signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) yesterday under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The agreement was signed by Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal and Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds in the presence of the two Prime Ministers.
This marks a significant milestone in India’s engagement with major developed economies and reflects a shared commitment to strengthening economic integration. As the world’s fourth and sixth largest economies respectively, India and the UK’s bilateral engagement holds global economic significance. The signing of the India-UK CETA follows the successful conclusion of negotiations announced on 6th May 2025. The bilateral trade between the two countries stand at nearly USD 56 billion, with a joint goal to double this figure by 2030.
CETA secures unprecedented duty-free access for 99% of India’s exports to the UK, covering nearly the entire trade basket. This is expected to open new opportunities for labour-intensive industries such as textiles, marine products, leather, footwear, sports goods, toys, and gems and jewellery, alongside fast-growing sectors like engineering goods, auto components, and organic chemicals.