India, U.K. to hold next round of talks on proposed trade agreement in July
The HinduWith the new government taking charge in Britain, senior officials of India and the U.K. will hold the next round of talks this month for the proposed free trade agreement to resolve the pending issues and close the negotiations, an official said. The Indian industry is demanding greater access for its skilled professionals from sectors like IT and healthcare in the UK market, besides market access for several goods at nil customs duty. It has suggested that India should focus on two issues - Carbon Border Adjustment Measure and non-traditional subjects like labour, environment, gender, and intellectual property rights - in the pact. The GTRI report has stated that even if the UK agrees to eliminate tariffs on sectors like textiles, Indian exports might still need to meet stringent UK sustainability requirements, and this could adversely affect Indian exports, especially in labour-intensive sectors.