Container ships dock at the Port of Felixstowe Ltd., a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd., in Felixstowe, UK, on Jan 25, 2021. (CHRIS RATCLIFFE / BLOOMBERG)

India and the UK will start negotiations for a free trade deal later this year, including a series of working groups from this month, the British High Commission in New Delhi said in a statement on Tuesday.   

The agreement to start talks comes after Britain’s International Trade Secretary Liz Truss spoke to India’s Minster for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Monday to “discuss the scope and ambition” for a free trade deal between the two countries after a public consultation in the UK last month. 

“These discussions between the UK and Indian Governments will help both sides better understand each other’s position on potential chapter areas in any trade deal including tariffs, standards, IP and data regulation,” the High Commission said. 

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