Next round of India, UK talks for FTA expected soon

India and the UK's chief Ind Inegotiators are poised to engage in the upcoming round of discussions for the envisioned free trade agreement, aiming to resolve discrepancies on matters like automobiles, medical devices, and the movement of professionals, as conveyed by an official. The official expressed the possibility of the UK team visiting for the 14th negotiation round, with the objective of expediting the conclusion of talks.

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"Virtual sessions are progressing. But we are planning for a full fledged round of talks. In the full round, both sides discuss all the chapters. Some 60-70 sessions happen parallelly," the official, who did not wish to be named, said. Issues which need resolution include rules of origin; intellectual property rights (IPRs); social security agreements; duty concessions on electric vehicles, scotch whiskey, lamb meat, chocolates and certain confectionary items; and liberalisation of norms in services sectors like banking and insurance. Talks are also progressing on the proposed bilateral investment treaty (BIT). The investment treaty is being negotiated as a separate agreement between India and the UK.