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The newly signed UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) contains binding provisions on copyright enforcement, anti-competitive practices, and fair treatment of cultural industries-- elements that are now sharply under the spotlight following allegations of literary monopolisation surrounding the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) and its institutional backers in both countries. While the agreement states both countries’ sovereign right to promote and fund their cultural industries, it simultaneously binds India and the UK to prevent abuse of intellectual property rights and address monopolistic conduct--particularly in sectors such as literature, media, music, and arts. “Each Party shall ensure that any abuse of intellectual property rights by right holders or anti-competitive practices… may be addressed through appropriate measures.” (CETA Chapter 13, Article 13.6.1) “Each Party shall maintain or adopt measures to proscribe anti-competitive business conduct ...

The newly signed UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) includes a legally recognized route for extending treaty provisions to British Crown Dependencies-- including Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man--raising fresh concerns about market access through offshore financial jurisdictions. According to an official side letter issued by the United Kingdom, the UK formally expressed its intention to extend the agreement’s service chapters to these territories, which are well-known for their favorable tax laws, financial secrecy, and regulatory leniency. The letter reads: “The United Kingdom intends to extend the provisions of this Agreement on trade in services… to the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey and the Isle of Man.” (UK Side Letter: Territorial Extension of Crown Dependencies, dated 24 July 2025) The letter also notes that the UK will consult India “as early as practicable”, but it provides no mechanism for India to refuse or veto such an extension. These...

India has committed to a defined, time-bound process to recognize UK professional qualifications across key regulated sectors--including accounting, law, architecture, and engineering--under a binding annex to the UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) signed yesterday. According to Annex 8A on Professional Services , India must: Identify priority professional bodies for Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) within 12 months, and Launch negotiations to conclude those MRAs within 36 months of the agreement entering into force. The annex states: “Each Party shall encourage its relevant professional bodies to develop and provide… a recommendation on potential MRAs… within 12 months… and to commence negotiations within 36 months.” (UK–India CETA, Annex 8A, Professional Services) Though the process is framed as “encouragement,” the use of fixed timelines within a treaty annex elevates its legal significance, making it a clear deliverable subject to bilateral...

India’s trade agreement with the United Kingdom, signed under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), includes a legally binding commitment that could reopen contentious intellectual property negotiations, raising concerns over long-term access to affordable medicines. According to the official UK Intellectual Property Side Letter 3 , India has agreed to enter into negotiations with the UK on extending patent terms for pharmaceutical products if it agrees to similar provisions with any other trade partner . The clause reads: “If India enters into a free trade agreement with another trading partner… that provides for extension of the term of protection for patents… India shall, upon request from the United Kingdom, enter into negotiations with the United Kingdom with a view to extending such benefits.” The provision does not immediately extend patent terms but creates a trigger clause that could delay India’s ability to produce and export generic medicines, long seen...

The UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) signed today contains provisions that give the United Kingdom the formal right to comment on, and potentially influence, Indian regulatory decisions , including those that do not specifically target foreign investors or goods. Chapter 24 on Good Regulatory Practice , legally binding under the agreement, obligates India to: Provide advance notice of proposed regulations, Conduct regulatory impact assessments (RIAs), and Allow the UK to submit formal written comments before laws are finalized. “A Party shall provide the other Party with the opportunity to comment on proposed regulatory measures that the Party considers may have a significant effect on trade.” (UK–India CETA, Chapter 24, Article 24.4.4) Moreover, Article 24.4.5 requires the regulating party--India in this case--to: “Take into account the comments received from the other Party when finalising the regulatory measure.” The chapter does not lim...

Despite headlines touting payroll savings for Indian professionals abroad, the newly signed UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) does not immediately exempt Indian workers from UK social security contributions.  Instead, both countries have merely agreed to negotiate such a framework in the future--a move that defers concrete relief and raises implementation concerns. In parallel side letters exchanged today, India and the UK committed to begin negotiating a Double Contributions Convention (DCC) that would allow temporary Indian workers in the UK to avoid paying into the UK’s Class 1 National Insurance system for up to three years. “India commits to commence negotiations with the aim of concluding a convention that would provide for exemption from Class 1 contributions…” (India Side Letter on Double Contributions Convention, 24 July 2025) However, the agreement does not guarantee a timeline for concluding this convention, nor does it embed the exemption...

India’s trade agreement with the United Kingdom includes a built-in mechanism to reopen negotiations every five years, allowing the UK to push for further liberalisation of India’s goods and services markets--including sectors not presently covered under the current treaty. Under Chapter 30 (Final Provisions) of the UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), both countries commit to: “...review the implementation of this Agreement with a view to further facilitating trade between the Parties through, among other things, further liberalisation of market access...” (UK–India CETA, Chapter 30, Article 30.5.2) This review clause activates every five years after the agreement enters into force and explicitly allows re-opening of negotiations on unresolved or deferred issues. Trade experts say such clauses can function as soft leverage mechanisms, enabling the UK to revisit politically sensitive areas like digital trade, data localisation, IP enforcement, or investment...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer formalized a sweeping new strategic roadmap-- India-UK Vision 2035-- and signed the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) , marking a pivotal shift in bilateral relations.  The announcements were made during Modi’s official visit to the United Kingdom, which included high-level engagements with King Charles III at Sandringham and major industry leaders in London. Image Source: PM NaMo During his call on His Majesty King Charles III , Prime Minister Modi expressed appreciation for the monarch’s recovery and resumed royal duties.  The two discussed sustainable living, Ayurveda, Yoga, climate change, and Commonwealth collaboration. As a gesture, Modi presented a sapling for the UK’s green campaign “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam,” which will be planted at Sandringham Estate. The centrepiece of the visit, however, was the launch of the India-UK Vision 2035, a comprehensive strategic blueprint focused ...

IndianRepublic.in In a press statement following the signing of the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the moment as historic.

I n a press statement following the signing of the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the moment as historic -- not merely a trade expansion, but a blueprint for “shared prosperity.”  Standing alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, PM Modi hailed the deal as the outcome of years of effort and dialogue, underlining that it opens the doors of opportunity across sectors--from engineering goods to agricultural exports, and from skilled migration to defence technology. Image Source: PM NaMo Modi emphasized that the FTA will grant Indian products such as textiles, footwear, seafood, and processed food wider and easier access to the UK market, while Indian consumers and industries will benefit from more affordable British goods like medical devices and aerospace parts.  "This is not just economic cooperation--it is a strategy for inclusive growth," he said. The deal is complemented by a new Double Contribution Convention that promise...

India and the United Kingdom on Thursday inked a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) expected to supercharge bilateral commerce by $34 billion annually.  Signed by Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, the deal was finalised in the presence of Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer. Analysts say this deal signals a bold new era of strategic economic engagement between the two democracies. Image Source: PM NaMo After nearly three years of negotiations, this post-Brexit breakthrough has been hailed as the most significant FTA for both countries. For India, the deal unlocks unprecedented tariff-free access for 99% of its exports -- ranging from textiles, leather, and gems to generic medicines and agricultural goods.  Indian agri-producers now stand on par with top EU exporters in the UK market, while leather exports are projected to grab 5% more market share in just two years. With electronics, chemical, and engineering secto...