Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal today announced the deployment of one thousand advisory personnel across the country and the upgradation of the trade portal to help businesses maximise the benefits of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Addressing the 10th Annual UK-India Week in London today, Mr Goyal said that the India-UK partnership has expanded beyond traditional trade to encompass strategic sectors such as technology, sovereign AI, critical minerals, defence and clean energy. Highlighting the benefits of the agreement for Indian professionals, the Minister said that it provides a five-year exemption from social security contributions for eligible Indian professionals working in the United Kingdom. He added that CETA enables Indian professionals to redirect these savings into interest-bearing, tax-free provident fund accounts in India. Mr Goyal said that India today represents trust, talent, inclusive growth and a stable environment, adding that the country offers immense opportunities for global partnerships and co-creation. He also underlined the role of Indian enterprises in contributing towards the country’s long-term economic growth aspirations.

The Minister said that India moved from the Fragile Five to being recognised as the world’s biggest opportunity under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that India-UK CETA is focused on bringing the best of both countries to each other.

Talking to the media in London, Mr Goyal said that his counterpart from the United States was in India for the last three days. He informed that they had extensive engagements, and broadly, both are in agreement on most aspects of the trade deal.