Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson unveiled a ‘Roadmap 2030’ to elevate the India-UK ties to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’, and declared an enhanced trade partnership between the two countries to negotiate a balanced Free Trade Agreement (FTA), including an interim trade pact for delivering early gains.

The roadmap will pave the way for a deeper and stronger engagement over the next ten years in the key areas of people to people contacts, trade and economy, defence and security, climate action and health.

During a virtual summit on May 4, the two sides inked nine pacts providing for expansion of cooperation in an array of areas including migration and mobility, digital and technology, telecommunications, energy and medicines, besides agreeing to boost collaboration in dealing with climate change through a new partnership on renewables and power.

The two sides agreed that there is a promising new era ahead for India-UK collaboration on key military technologies including combat aircraft, maritime propulsion system and complex weapons and deliver the next generation of defence and security capabilities through co-development and co-production.

The two leaders agreed to expand and enhance the existing UK-India vaccine partnership, highlighting the successful collaboration between Oxford University, AstraZeneca and the Serum Institute of India. 

The two sides also affirmed their shared vision of an open, free, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation and overflight in the international seas, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peaceful resolution of disputes.

Johnson also announced new UK-India trade and investment of £1 billion. The package contains over £533 million of new Indian investment into the UK, which is expected to create more than 6,000 jobs in vital and growing sectors such as health and technology. About £200 million of these deals will support low carbon growth.

Trade between the UK and India is already worth around £23 billion a year, supporting more than half a million jobs.

Agreements announced during the summit

1) Declaration for the launch of an Enhanced Trade Partnership

The two PMs launched an ‘Enhanced Trade Partnership’ (ETP) to unleash the trade potential between the fifth and sixth largest economies of the world and by setting an ambitious target of more than doubling bilateral trade by 2030. 

Through the declaration, both sides announce their intent to negotiate a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement to unlock the full potential of their trade and commercial relations, including consideration of an Interim Trade Agreement for delivering early gains.

The enhanced trade partnership between India and UK will generate several thousands of direct and indirect jobs in both the countries.

India and the UK also agreed to facilitate market access in specific sectors of mutual interest and set an ambitious target of more than doubling the bilateral trade by 2030.

2) MOU on India-UK Global Innovation Partnership

The UK is India’s second largest partner in research and innovation collaborations.

The MoU announces the launch of a new Global Innovation Partnership (GIP) between India and the UK with the objective to support the transfer of inclusive, climate smart innovations from India to selected developing countries, starting with Africa.

GIP builds on the successful Invent-Global project supported by the UK and will extend support in the form of grants, investment capital and technical assistance to Indian innovators/enterprises to help them take their innovations to third countries.

GIP will be co-financed equally by India and UK and will also leverage additional resources from the market

3) MoU on India-UK Migration and Mobility Partnership

It will facilitate legal movement of students and professionals and also enhance cooperation between India and the UK in combating illegal migration.

It creates a new scheme for exchange of young professionals under which every year upto 3,000 young Indian professionals can avail employment opportunities in the UK for a period of two years without being subject to labour market test.

4) Joint Declaration of Intent on cooperation in the fields of Digital and Technology

Joint Declaration of Intent between the UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology aims to deepen cooperation on emerging technologies, digital infrastructure and data policies.

5) MoU on cooperation in the field of telecommunications/ICT

MoU between UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Indian Department of Telecommunications will enhance cooperation in the areas of telecoms infrastructure, including telecoms diversification and disaster resilience.

6) Agreement on Customs Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in customs matters

Agreement between the Customs Authorities in India and UK will facilitate exchange of information, effective coordination and develop trade facilitation actions in the field of customs in accordance with international standards including all matters relating to the application of customs legislation.

7) Statement of Principles on new joint work between India and the UK on the India Energy Security Scenarios Calculator

This Statement of Principles aims to strengthen cooperation on energy policy and planning between NITI Aayog and the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), UK.

8) MoU in the field of medical products regulation 

The MoU between the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) aims to enhance cooperation between the two medical regulators in various areas such as pharmacovigilance and medical products regulations through joint conferences, exchange of information on good practice guidance and regulation, and coordination at international fora including standards organisations

9) MoU on Pharmacopoeial Cooperation 

MoU between the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) and the British Pharmacopoeia (BP) for collaboration between the UK and India on the development of quality standards for medicines.

These standards are used to ensure the quality of both innovative and generic medicines supplied to patients in the UK and India, as well as across the world and underpin the safety and efficacy of these medicines.

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