The India-UK free trade agreement negotiations have been put on hold after 14 rounds of talks, Indian government sources said on Monday, March 18.
The sources said that while “a lot of ground has been covered” during 14 rounds of negotiations, a formal agreement has been put on hold with India announcing national elections during the April-June period.
According to the sources, fresh talks on a trade agreement can only be resumed once a new government is in place in India.
It is expected such talks will commence only around the end of 2024, the sources said.
They said that, in bilateral communications, the governments of both the UK and India have reaffirmed that neither country is “walking away” from an agreement but will resume talks at a more “suitable time”.