India-UK free trade pact talks to resume by Jan-end: Indian government source

NEW DELHI: India and Britain will resume their talks on a free trade agreement by the end of January, an Indian government source told Reuters on Thursday.

This development comes after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said last month that talks would be restarted in the “new year”.

The previous UK Conservative government held years-long trade talks with New Delhi, but they ended in March without a deal, with a British official saying an agreement could not be finalised before the Indian elections.

Previous sticking points in the trade talks have included a steep import duty on British whisky sold in India and India’s demand for more visas for Indian students and businesses.

UK, India to resume stalled free trade talks

Total trade between India and Britain, currently the world’s fifth - and sixth-largest economies, respectively, was worth $19.27 billion in the 10 months to October, with Indian exports to Britain valued at $12.18 billion.