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Trade deal signals exciting new era for UK-India relations, ICAEW says

Author: ICAEW

Published: 06 May 2025

Alan Vallance, ICAEW Chief Executive, responded to the news that the UK has agreed a free trade agreement with India:

“This package of deals, including a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, signals an exciting new era of relations between the UK and India. It is a highly significant deal, which welcomes a new chapter of mutually-productive and prosperous deeper trade and business engagement between two very close-knit countries.

“Professional services, a vital sector in supporting the delivery of a successful Industrial Strategy, are already supporting talent and skills development between the UK and the Indian professional bodies, and we hope this FTA opens the door to greater opportunities for the institutional partnerships essential for success. We look forward to further details on this, and stand ready to work with our counterparts.

“The level of alignment between the countries in this agreement is unprecedented and is a much needed boost for business confidence in trading overseas, particularly amid a picture of global uncertainty. We congratulate the Business Secretary and his officials on getting this deal over the line.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

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Chartered accountants are talented, ethical and committed professionals. ICAEW represents more than 208,000 members and students around the world.

Founded in 1880, ICAEW has a long history of serving the public interest and we continue to work with governments, regulators and business leaders globally. And, as a world-leading improvement regulator, we supervise and monitor around 12,000 firms, holding them, and all ICAEW members and students, to the highest standards of professional competency and conduct.

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