India-U.K. Free Trade Agreement Will Benefit All, Says Piyush Goyal

speedy Summary

• Union Minister Piyush Goyal and U.K. Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, signed the India-U.K. Thorough Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) on July 25, 2025, in London.
• Prime ministers Narendra modi of India and Keir Starmer of the U.K. were present during the signing ceremony.
• The agreement allows India to ship 99% of its exports to the U.K. duty-free.
• Piyush Goyal described the agreement as “game-changing” for sectors including agriculture, MSMEs, youth employment, industry, fishermen, and workers in India.
• Sensitive items such as agriculture and ethanol were reportedly protected during negotiations.
• Mr. Goyal emphasized that India’s terms were confidently upheld in this agreement.
• The FTA requires approval from the UK Parliament before coming into effect.
• Indian industries are encouraged to leverage opportunities made available across various sectors like pharmaceuticals, leather products, food processing, toys, gems & jewelry.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The signing of the india-U.K. Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement signifies a strategic milestone in international trade relations between two major democracies. By allowing almost complete duty-free access for Indian exports to U.K., this deal has potential implications for boosting India’s manufacturing sector while opening new markets for its diverse goods ranging from pharmaceuticals to handcrafts like gems and leather items.

Protecting sensitive domestic priorities during negotiations reflects India’s evolving confidence in maintaining balanced agreements wiht global partners-a shift towards safeguarding local interests while pursuing growth opportunities abroad.

If leveraged effectively by Indian industries alongside supportive government initiatives targeting export competitiveness (like compliance improvements or subsidies),this FTA could catalyze job creation across numerous segments while strengthening ties with a key economic partner-possibly setting precedents for future trade policy frameworks globally.

read more at The Hindu.