London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed his desire to establish a “truly ambitious” free trade agreement (FTA) with India and has hinted at his plans to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September.
During a special reception held at the garden of 10 Downing Street in London to celebrate the UK-India Week 2023 organised by the India Global Forum (IGF), Sunak reiterated that both he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi recognise the immense potential for enhancing bilateral trade relations. The 43-year-old British Indian Leader engaged with business leaders and prominent figures such as boxing champion Mary Kom, musicians Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Hussain, and Bollywood stars Sonam Kapoor and Vivek Oberoi on Wednesday evening. Sunak referred to this occasion as a significant moment in the bilateral calendar, marking the beginning of the Indian summer for the UK.
“Prime Minister Modiji and I agree there is huge potential here. We are making great progress together on the 2030 Roadmap and we want to strike a truly ambitious trade deal that benefits both our nations, bringing tremendous opportunities to businesses and consumers, both in India and here at home,” said Sunak.
Recently, India and the UK concluded the tenth round of FTA negotiations, with the eleventh round scheduled to commence in the coming weeks. The fifth annual UK-India Week organised by the India Global Forum, which will continue until Friday, has brought together ministers, business leaders, and policymakers to deliberate on key sectors of focus in bilateral cooperation.
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