UK and India to Conclude Bilateral Trade Talks Pertaining Immigration

On Aug 25, India and the United Kingdom said they are working towards the "early conclusion" of a bilateral trade agreement that will include people mobility for business purposes, but they refused to set a deadline.

"Visas and visa liberalisation are not covered by the free trade agreement."

It's an immigration issue that our home office handles, and we use a points-based system. What I look at is business, and business mobility is incorporated into the trade framework. And that's something I can't go into detail about...Bilateral investment treaty...business mobility, these are things that we are discussing, actively discussing, to find an accommodation that works for both countries, so I am optimistic," said Kemi Badenoch, UK secretary of state for international trade.

“There is hardly an issue on which we are not negotiating and I assure you that it will be a strong and hard outcome that will come out of all these negotiations... I believe we have to talk with sincerity, with speed but ensuring balance... and we are both committed to come up with a winwin solution for both countries. I hope it can happen at an early date,” commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal told reporters.