Before India’s general elections, a free trade agreement is “possible,” according to UK Trade Minister Kemi Badenoch

According to UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch, a trade agreement with India is “possible” to be finalized before the nation’s general election, but Britain does not want to use that as a deadline.

The minister in charge of approving the free trade agreement (FTA), which is now undergoing its 14th round of negotiations, cited one of the reasons for the drawn-out talks as India’s “protectionist economy” in contrast to the UK’s liberalized environment.

Speaking on Thursday at the Chatham House think tank’s Global Trade conference, Badenoch emphasized that she preferred a “commercially meaningful” agreement over one that was only a pre-election photo shot. “We are very, very liberalized, but India is still very protectionist,” said Badenoch.

“I don’t want to merely snap a photo and call it a day. It must be something with significant commercial potential. Speaking of the free trade agreements (FTAs) with the two largest economies, she said, “People need to be able to say, ‘Ah, now I can do this, like we had with our Australia agreement or with Japan for example.”

Regarding the timetable for concluding the negotiations with India, she said, “We can actually sign an agreement before the Indian election.” Since I don’t want to use any election as a deadline, I assume that won’t always be the case.

“That may be accomplished, but I strongly object to timetables being imposed on trade talks because they waste time. We may be able to sign, but I really don’t plan on using it as a deadline for the job I’m doing.

Since January 2022, India and the UK have been in talks to negotiate a free trade agreement (FTA) that would greatly expand their GBP 36 billion bilateral trade relationship.

On December 15, of last year, the thirteenth round of negotiations came to a conclusion, and both parties were optimistic that the current fourteenth round would result in a deal.

The UK wants India to drastically lower the tariffs—which may now be as high as 150 percent—on UK goods, including food, automobiles, and whiskey.

India is also worried about the fairness of the regulations pertaining to its personnel who are temporarily relocated to the UK on business visas and are required to pay national insurance even though they are not qualified for social security or pensions in the UK.

“I have to strike the right balance between embracing the import of goods from developing countries to help them grow with the need to maintain the high standards on quality and safety which the British people rightly expect,” Badenoch said in her keynote speech at the trade conference. We have a choice.”

Because they are centered on resilience and diversity, our free trade agreements are assisting us in making the best decisions. That is the Indo-Pacific tilt’s main goal, but we must ensure that the information is publicized,” said Badenoch.

This year’s general elections in the UK and India have made it more important to finalize a trade deal before leaders of both countries launch their campaigns.