On the sidelines of G20, UK's Sunak says hard work needed to secure India trade deal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his UK counterpart, Rishi Sunak, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit taking place in the national capital, hosted under India's presidency.

The bilateral meeting occurred at the Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, the venue for the G20 Summit. This meeting follows their previous encounter on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in May, during which discussions centered around the India-UK free trade agreement, innovation, science, and strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.

India and the UK have been engaged in negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement since 2022, with the 12th round of talks taking place from August 8 to 31 this year. In August, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and the UK’s Secretary of State for Trade, Kemi Badenoch, assessed the progress of the FTA negotiations and agreed on a way forward. The 13th round of negotiations is scheduled for September.




PM Modi welcomed world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and others to the G20 Summit at the Bharat Mandapam venue.

Sunak's visit to India is significant, being his first as UK Prime Minister since assuming office in October last year. India and the UK share strong historical and cultural ties, with their bilateral relationship upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2004, as highlighted by the Ministry of External Affairs.