India Launches 1,000 Outreach Events to Promote UK Trade Deal

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India is set to roll out 1,000 outreach programs nationwide over the next 20 days to raise awareness and ensure effective implementation of its newly signed trade agreement with the United Kingdom. The effort comes in the wake of the India-United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which was finalised on July 24, 2025.

According to reports from the Press Trust of India, the Indian government will organise stakeholder meetings, workshops, awareness campaigns, and feedback sessions to educate domestic industries on the benefits and obligations under CETA. The initiative aims to help Indian exporters, particularly in traditional and regional goods, prepare to capitalise on the new tariff reductions and expanded market access.

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal announced that he will personally lead sector-specific consultations and travel to key states to engage directly with stakeholders. Goyal emphasised the need to “sensitise sectors” and highlighted that outreach efforts would continue through Parliament’s session and beyond. He also confirmed plans to visit regions such as Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu to discuss the deal’s implications with representatives from the fishing industry, among others.

The agreement is expected to give a significant boost to exports of Indian goods like Bhagalpur silk from Bihar, Pashmina shawls from Jammu and Kashmir, Kolhapuri leather footwear from Maharashtra, Thanjavur dolls from Tamil Nadu, and other culturally significant products. These items could soon be seen more prominently in British retail outlets as trade barriers are lifted.

In addition to goods, the government will focus on informing the technology and services sectors in cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, and Gurugram. The Double Contribution Convention (DCC), a key element of the pact, is designed to support India’s services export industry by enabling companies to contribute and benefit from both countries’ regulatory and operational frameworks.

Under the terms of CETA, 99 per cent of tariffs on Indian exports to the United Kingdom will be eliminated. In return, India will provide similar tariff concessions on a range of UK-manufactured goods. The mutual aim is to expand bilateral trade volumes, with both countries targeting a total trade value of $56 billion by the year 2030.

Goyal stated, as quoted by PTI, “We will send delegations to the UK and prepare the groundwork in the coming months while their parliamentary approval is ongoing, so that we can start leveraging the free trade agreement as soon as it becomes operational.”

This outreach strategy reflects a proactive approach to international trade, focusing on equipping local industries with the knowledge and tools needed to compete and succeed in global markets under the new agreement.