UK Business & Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds to visit India in February to restart trade deal talks
India Global Forum launches 'Sentiment to Success – Futureproofing UK India Partnership' report at 7th Annual UK-India Parliamentary Lunch at House of Lords
NEW DELHI and LONDON, Jan. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The UK's Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, has revealed that he will be visiting India next month in an effort to propel the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with urgency.
Addressing India Global Forum's (IGF) 7th Annual UK-India Parliamentary Lunch at the House of Lords as Chief Guest on Monday, Reynolds said: "I want to reaffirm the UK's commitment to deliver growth for both countries through the trade deal that we're talking about, through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Technology Security Initiative; and I can let you know exclusively, I hear what you say about urgency, [that] I've just been finalising my own visit to India next month to make sure we proceed on that basis."
The minister's comments come against the backdrop of UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, announcing that the stalled UK-India FTA talks would relaunch in early 2025, following his bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in November last year.
Referencing that meeting and other recent high-level engagements, Reynolds stated: "India is a top priority partner for the UK, and we want to elevate that ambition across all aspects of our relationship, but also to take it to new heights.
"It's why in our manifesto, the UK government committed to our Free Trade Agreement. But it's also why we're so energised by the prospects of what that might bring, and the Bilateral Investment Treaty, and what that would mean for both countries going forward."
The Secretary of State in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) also welcomed the report launched by the UK-India Future Forum (UKIFF), IGF's central UK-India platform, focused on emerging and disruptive technologies as sectors that will help drive growth in both countries. UKIFF's 'Sentiment to Success – Futureproofing UK India Partnership' presents a detailed review of the areas of progress along with immediate and actionable strategies to energise the bilateral partnership.
IGF Chairman and CEO Manoj Ladwa said: "The world is at a tipping point, and sentiment alone won't sustain relationships in this era of uncertainty. The UK-India partnership must pivot from nostalgia to action, leveraging India's rising global influence and the UK's unmatched expertise.
"Together, we can lead in critical areas like energy, tech, healthcare, and defence. Delays are not an option – the time to act is now. Democracies thrive when democracies work together."
Co-hosted with the High Commission of India in the UK and Lord Jitesh Gadhia, the UK-India Parliamentary Lunch convened 100 leading figures from the world of politics, business, finance and technology over a sit-down meal at the House of Lords to take stock of the ties between the two leading democracies.
Vikram Doraiswami, India's High Commissioner to the UK, said: "I think we do sit at an interesting geopolitical hinge moment. It's as much a geoeconomic hinge moment, as it is geopolitical. It is important, therefore, for us to move quickly with partners of choice; and our leadership in both countries has made it abundantly clear that this is a partnership of choice.
"It is a partnership where we see great value for both of us in moving forward, in designing to our mutual interest the world of the future, because, let's not sugar coat this, this is a world system that is changing, and it is changing before our eyes. It would be unwise for us not to invest in greater effort to make this move in a direction with which we're comfortable."
Lord Gadhia noted: "Whilst we might currently fret about the so-called special relationship across the Atlantic, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that Washington and Delhi are almost equidistant from London, and perhaps we can forge an equally coveted special relationship in the Indo-Pacific.
"To this end, we all hope that the long awaited Free Trade Agreement with India will finally come to fruition this coming year… if this lunch has one key objective, then it is to re-energise and renew our commitment to unlocking the full potential from the UK and India working ever more closely together."
Sponsored by Essar Energy Transition (EET), the Parliamentary Lunch was followed by peer-to-peer roundtable discussions on UK-India defence collaboration – which included remarks from Rt Hon. Maria Eagle, Minister of State for Defence Procurement – reforming governance with technology, quantum as an emerging technology for growth, pharmaceuticals and pandemic preparedness and decarbonisation in England's Northwest.
Speaking ahead of the decarbonisation session, Ruth Herbert, EET's Managing Director – Business Development and Strategic Initiatives, said: "We're developing what will be the UK's first largescale Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Plant at Stanlow Refinery in Ellesmere Port. This plant is at the heart of the HyNet Cluster, which is one of the Track-1 Clusters in the UK government's program.
"By fuel switching to low carbon hydrogen and installation of carbon capture, the refinery, which is the second-largest in the UK, will be transformed – eliminating 95 per cent of its carbon emissions, which is around 2 million tons a year, by 2030 and making it the lowest emitting refinery globally."
For photos from the Parliamentary Lunch and subsequent Roundtable Dialogues, please click here.
For a copy of the report 'Sentiment to Success – Futureproofing UK India Partnership', please click here.
About UK-India Future Forum
UKIFF is the most effective platform for businesses and policymakers to grow their engagement with emerging disruptive technologies within the UK-India corridor, and beyond. It facilitates high-level engagement between business leaders, policymakers and academia to spotlight opportunities and advance their implementation. Outcome driven programmes culminate in set piece calendar events including UK-India Week, the UK-India Parliamentary Lunch and London Diwali Reception.
About India Global Forum
India Global Forum is a global affairs platform showcasing contemporary India's transformative growth. As the gateway to India's limitless opportunities, we accelerate prosperity, connect tech and innovation ecosystems, champion climate leadership, promote diversity, and inspire creativity for a sustainable future. Through our global events and engaged membership network, we unite influential changemakers shaping the agenda today.
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