The discussions come amid ongoing work to operationalise the India-UK trade agreement and expand collaboration across high growth sectors….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a virtual meeting with UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle, with both sides discussing ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in innovation, technology, research, startups and emerging technologies.
Sharing details of the interaction on social media platform X, Goyal described the talks as productive and said the discussions focused on expanding collaboration in sectors that could drive economic growth and create shared prosperity for both countries.
“Had a productive virtual meeting with UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Mr. Peter Kyle. We discussed strengthening India-UK collaboration in innovation, technology, research, startups and emerging technologies. Also explored new avenues to deepen partnerships for driving economic growth and creating shared prosperity for both nations,” Goyal said.
The meeting comes as India and the United Kingdom continue to deepen economic engagement and work towards operationalising their recently negotiated trade agreement, while also exploring broader cooperation across strategic sectors.
Both countries have increasingly focused on innovation, digital technologies, research partnerships and startup ecosystems as key areas for future growth, complementing existing collaboration in trade, investment, education and defence.
Efforts to advance economic ties have gathered pace following progress on the proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which is expected to provide greater market access and strengthen commercial links between the two economies.
Last month, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said India and the UK were close to operationalising the agreement, although a few outstanding issues remained under discussion.
According to Agrawal, one of the key challenges relates to recent steel measures introduced by the UK that were not factored into the original negotiations.
“We are very near to operationalising that. There are a few sticking points. As you are aware, the UK has come ahead with the steel measure recently, which was not factored in while negotiating the India-UK FTA. We are working together to find a unique creative solution,” he said.
Meanwhile, UK Member of Parliament Bob Blackman recently said that although significant progress had been made in trade discussions, several important issues still needed to be addressed before the agreement could be fully finalised.
Speaking in a virtual interview with ANI on June 12, Blackman stressed that negotiations were continuing on key aspects of the deal, particularly in relation to tariffs and market access.
“We’ve obviously signed defence and security agreements with India, and we cooperate fully,” Blackman said.
“I would just correct it: it’s not a free trade agreement, it’s a trade agreement, and there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
The British lawmaker highlighted the need for both countries to work towards reducing tariff barriers and improving access to professional services markets.
He also pointed to the growing education partnership between India and the UK, noting that British schools and universities are increasingly expanding their presence in India.
Beyond trade and education, Blackman called for stronger security cooperation and reiterated his support for India’s bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.
India and the UK have steadily expanded collaboration across trade, investment, technology, education and defence in recent years. The latest discussions between Goyal and Kyle underline both countries’ commitment to strengthening partnerships in innovation and emerging technologies while advancing broader economic and strategic ties.
