Rendered from the All Frontier Global corridor registry · every figure below carries a numbered source
India and the United Kingdom trade under a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement in force since 15 July 2026[1] — the only corridor in this registry whose agreement both entered into force and began operating inside the reporting period. Two official statistical series describe the corridor, one British and one Indian, and the registry forbids blending them: they are rendered separately below and never summed, converted or reconciled. Where the two governments state different figures for the same thing, those conflicts are rendered as conflicts rather than resolved. This page renders the corridor registry record — the agreement as officially stated, both series side by side, the mechanics from rules of origin to mobility, and the figures no official source would supply.
Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and India (CETA). Accompanied by a separate but linked instrument, the Agreement on Social Security relating to Social Security Contributions (the Double Contributions Convention, DCC).[2]
Collection first published 24 July 2025; page carries 'Updated at 2026-08-12T14:02:09+01:00'. All 30 chapters are published as 'International treaty' documents dated 15 July 2026. The UK command-paper version is CP 1496 (CS India No.1/2026); the DCC is CS India No.2/2026.
It was signed on 24 July 2025[3] and entered into force on 15 July 2026[1]. HEADLINE STATUS. Verbatim: 'The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), one of the biggest trade deals of modern times, came into force on 15 July.' Independently confirmed on the Indian side by PIB, 15 July 2026: 'The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a landmark milestone in the strategic partnership between India and the United Kingdom, entered into force today' (pib.gov.in PRID=2284951). Also confirmed operationally by HMRC's UK Integrated Online Tariff service.
Ratified by both parties and fully in force. Verbatim official statement: 'Following the successful completion of internal procedures and ratifications by both governments, the agreements will formally enter into force on 15th July 2026.'[4]
This is the clearest official statement located that both ratifications are complete. 'The agreements' is plural because the release covers CETA and the Agreement on Social Security Contributions together. The UK side announced the same date on 17 June 2026 via GOV.UK ('The countdown begins: UK-India FTA enters into force on July 15th') without using the word 'ratification'. As of 18 August 2026 no official source records any reservation, carve-out, delayed chapter or provisional-application arrangement.
Article 30.6: 'This Agreement shall enter into force 60 days after the date on which the Parties exchange written notifications confirming that they have completed their respective domestic legal requirements necessary for the entry into force of this Agreement or on such other date as the Parties may agree.'[7]
The treaty was presented to Parliament as command paper CP 1496 (CS India No.1/2026) in January 2026, with the GOV.UK publication dated 21 January 2026. The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee published its report on CETA (HC 996) on 21 January 2026, described as coinciding with 'the start of the official scrutiny period in Parliament'. The agreement was debated in the House of Commons on 9 February 2026 and in the House of Lords on 4 March 2026. The Government Response (Seventh Special Report, HC 1832) was published 17 April 2026.[8]
The GOV.UK command-paper page states only 'This treaty was presented to Parliament in January 2026' — it does not give the precise laying date, and neither the command-paper page nor the House of Commons Library briefing states the exact date UK ratification was completed under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. See Not yet verified.[8]
Tariffs eliminated on 99% of Indian goods / 99% of India's tariff lines, described by the Government of India as covering 'nearly 100% of the trade value'. The UK side states: 'Starting 15 July, 99% of Indian goods entering the UK and 90% of UK goods entering India will either be duty free or reduced in tariffs.'[1][6]
Verbatim Indian framing: 'By granting zero-duty access on nearly 99% of India's exports, covering almost 100% of the trade value'. Minister Piyush Goyal, 17 June 2026: 'By securing immediate duty-free access on 99% of our tariff lines, we have systematically dismantled long-standing tariff walls.'[6][9]
India's offer is stated differently by the two governments. UK (DBT conclusion summary): 'India will remove or reduce tariffs, or pre-existing zero tariffs, on 90% tariff lines, which will cover 92% of existing goods imports from the UK (based on 2022 trade)', with '64% of tariff lines ... eligible for tariff-free imports into India' on day one, 'covering GBP 1.9 billion of current UK exports to India (2022)', rising after 10-year staging to '85% tariff lines and 66% of existing Indian imports from the UK'. India (PIB): India 'offered tariff concessions on 89.5% of its tariff lines', with '24.5% of the UK's export value will receive immediate duty-free access'.[10][6]
Indian duties on UK whisky and gin cut from a 150% baseline to 75% on day one, staged down to 40% from year 10 onwards.
Verbatim: 'duties cut to 75% on day one and staged to 40% from year 10 onwards'. The 17 June 2026 GOV.UK entry-into-force announcement restates it compressed as 'Whisky: reduced from 150% to 40%'. DBT states Scotland's beverage exports were worth GBP 188 million in 2024.[10][9]
UK car manufacturers benefit from a quota that reduces Indian tariffs from up to 110% to 10%. The arrangement 'starts with internal combustion engine (ICE) cars but transitions to electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid'. Indian EV and hybrid access to the UK market is 'staged and under a quota to support the UK auto industry's transition'.
The 17 June 2026 GOV.UK announcement gives the same concession as 'Automotives: reduced from 100% to 10% (under quota)' — 110% in the conclusion summary vs 100% in the June 2026 news story. Both are recorded; neither is reconciled by an official source. Quota volumes, phase-in years and the ICE-to-EV transition schedule are not stated in either source. See Not yet verified.[10][9]
Zero-duty access on 1,143 tariff lines for Indian textiles. Apparel and textiles are among the Indian goods gaining tariff-free entry to the UK market.
Source organisation: Government of India, Press Information Bureau — 'India-UK CETA Comes into Effect', 15 July 2026; UK-side confirmation from GOV.UK UK-India trade deal conclusion summary
Marine products: tariffs eliminated, from prior UK shrimp tariffs that 'ranged from 4.2% to 8.5%'. Engineering goods: zero-duty access on 1,659 tariff lines, with Indian exports projected to 'exceed USD 7.5 billion by 2029-30'. Leather and footwear: Indian exports projected to 'exceed USD 900 million'. On the Indian tariff-elimination side, PIB lists eliminations of processed foods (70%), marine products (21.5%), engineering goods (18%), leather (16%), textiles (12%) and chemicals (8%). Cosmetics: UK-side tariffs of up to 22% eliminated either on day one or after 10 years.
The USD 7.5 billion engineering and USD 900 million leather figures are official projections, not measured outcomes. The percentages in the PIB list are presented as tariff-elimination rates by sector and their exact denominator is not defined in the source.[6]
India states CETA covers '12 major service sectors and 137 sub-sectors', including IT and IT-enabled services, professional services, healthcare, education, financial and legal services and digital trade. The UK states the agreement secures 'market access for many services sectors' including 'telecommunications services, environmental services and construction services', and that 'UK businesses in the covered sectors will not face restrictions such as limits on the number of businesses able to supply a service'.
Source organisation: Government of India, Press Information Bureau, 15 July 2026; UK framing from GOV.UK UK-India trade deal conclusion summary
CETA opens Indian federal government procurement to UK suppliers. 'India's federal government entities covered by the agreement, publish, on average, approximately 40,000 tenders per year with a value of at least GBP 38 billion.' India spends an 'estimated 20% of its GDP on public procurement'.
Coverage is federal/central-government entities only. No official source located states which Indian state-level or public-sector-undertaking procurement is or is not covered.
In force. The Agreement on Social Security relating to Social Security Contributions (Double Contributions Convention, DCC) entered into force on 15 July 2026, the same day as CETA. Verbatim (HMRC/GOV.UK): 'The UK has signed a National Insurance Double Contributions Convention (DCC) with India which comes into force on 15 July 2026.' It ensures 'that workers moving between the UK and India only pay social security contributions in one country at a time.' The exemption period for detached workers is 60 months: 'The 52-week exemption period will be extended reciprocally to 60 months for detached workers.'[11]
The Government of India states the DCC eliminates dual contributions 'for assignments of up to 60 months', benefiting 'over 75,000 Indian professionals' and '900+ companies', with estimated annual savings of 'more than USD 600 million'.[6]
A separate Government of India document (PIB, 18 December 2025) puts the saving at 'INR 4,000+ crore'. These are Indian-government estimates of benefit, not measured outcomes, and no UK-side equivalent figure was located. The GOV.UK DCC explainer states only that the DCC's cost 'is likely to be a fraction of the overall deal's economic benefit'.[6]
The agreement carries a 'built-in review within five years, and every five years after that' (Article 30.5). The Customs and Trade Facilitation Working Group is required to 'meet within six months of the date of entry into force of this Agreement and thereafter annually' (Article 5.18). The UK Government further committed to publish an implementation plan 'no later than three months before entry into force' and to report progress on professional qualifications 'within twelve months of the Agreement taking effect'.[12]
The Government also committed to 'endeavour to publish provisional data on utilisation rates within the first year after entry into force - subject to information provision from Indian customs.' No utilisation data had been published as at 18 August 2026.[12]
Primary official sources for the agreement itself: [1][9][2][8][10][7][11][13][4][6][14][3][12][15][16][17]
Series owner: UK — Office for National Statistics and HM Revenue & Customs, published by the Department for Business and Trade. Period as published: Four quarters to the end of Q1 2026[5].
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Total trade, goods and services | GBP 48.4 bn | Four quarters to end Q1 2026 |
| UK exports to India | GBP 20.2 bn | Four quarters to end Q1 2026 |
| UK imports from India | GBP 28.2 bn | Four quarters to end Q1 2026 |
| UK trade deficit with India | GBP 8 bn directly stated, not derived | Four quarters to end Q1 2026 |
Total: Verbatim: 'GBP 48.4 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2026', 'an increase of 5.7% or GBP 2.6 billion in current prices from the four quarters to the end of Q1 2025'. Total trade in goods AND services.[5]
UK exports: Verbatim: 'an increase of 14.1% or GBP 2.5 billion in current prices, compared to the four quarters to the end of Q1 2025'. Split: goods GBP 6.3 billion (31.4%), services GBP 13.8 billion (68.6%).[5]
UK imports: Verbatim: 'an increase of 0.4% or GBP 112 million in current prices, compared to the four quarters to the end of Q1 2025'. Split: goods GBP 10.9 billion (38.7%), services GBP 17.3 billion (61.3%).[5]
Deficit: DIRECTLY STATED, NOT DERIVED. Verbatim: 'a trade deficit of GBP 8.0 billion with India, compared to a trade deficit of GBP 10.4 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2025'. The deficit runs in India's favour and narrowed by GBP 2.4 billion year on year.[5]
Goods trade GBP 17.3 billion (35.7% of the total); services trade GBP 31.1 billion (64.3% of the total). The India-UK corridor is majority-services by value.[5]
India was 'the UK's 11th largest trading partner in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2026 accounting for 2.5% of total UK trade'. India was the UK's 12th largest export market (2.2% of total UK exports) and 11th largest import market (2.9% of total UK imports).[5]
India has moved up from 12th to 11th: the July 2025 DBT conclusion summary recorded India as 'the UK's 12th largest trading partner, with total trade worth GBP 43 billion' in 2024.[5][10]
The same series owner also publishes rounded calendar-year headlines: GBP 48 bn for 2025 (calendar year)[1] and GBP 43 bn for 2024 (calendar year)[10].
Series owner: India — Ministry of Commerce and Industry, via Press Information Bureau. The Indian side reports merchandise and services separately, on different calendars, and this page keeps them separate[6].
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Total merchandise trade | US$25.12 bn | FY2025-26 |
| India’s exports to the UK | US$13.44 bn | FY2025-26 |
| India’s imports from the UK | US$11.68 bn | FY2025-26 |
| India’s merchandise balance | not stated by any official Indian source | FY2025-26 |
Merchandise total: MERCHANDISE ONLY — excludes services. Stated as 'USD 25.12 billion'.[6]
Exports: Corroborated by a separate PIB release of 28 July 2026 (PRID=2290437) giving India-UK merchandise exports of USD 13,444.19 million for FY2025-26.[6][18]
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Total services trade | US$35.44 bn | 2024 |
| India’s services exports to the UK | US$21.66 bn | 2024 |
| India’s services imports from the UK | US$13.78 bn | 2024 |
Services total: Stated as 'USD 35.44 billion in 2024', comprising India's exports of 'USD 21.66 billion' and imports of 'USD 13.78 billion'. Reported on a CALENDAR-year basis, unlike the merchandise series above which is fiscal-year. Do not add the two.[6]
Services exports: An earlier Government of India document (PIB, 18 December 2025) states 'India exported over US$ 19.8 billion in services to the UK in 2023', consistent with growth into 2024.[6]
'Bilateral trade between the two countries has already reached USD 56 billion, with both sides aiming to double this level by 2030.'[19]
The India-UK Roadmap 2030 sets a joint goal of doubling bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030.[4] A political target, not a forecast produced by either statistical agency.
UK GDP estimated to increase by 0.13%, 'equivalent to GBP 4.8 billion'. Bilateral trade estimated to increase 'by nearly 39% in the long run, equivalent to GBP 25.5 billion a year'. UK exports to India up 'nearly 60% in the long run - this is equivalent to an additional GBP 15.7 billion'; UK imports from India up '25% in the long run - this is equivalent to GBP 9.8 billion'. UK real wages up 0.19%, 'the equivalent of GBP 2.2 billion a year'. Import duties on UK exports to India estimated to fall by 'around GBP 400 million' at entry into force, doubling 'to approximately GBP 900 million after 10 years'; duties on UK imports from India to fall by GBP 220 million. The Government of India separately states Indian GDP is expected to rise by GBP 5.1 billion a year.[20][1]
UK outward FDI stock in India was GBP 19.1 billion at the end of 2024, '10.0% or GBP 1.7 billion higher than the end of 2023', accounting for 1.0% of total UK outward FDI stock. UK inward FDI stock from India was GBP 6.1 billion at the end of 2024, '49.8% or GBP 6.1 billion lower than the end of 2023', accounting for 0.3% of total UK inward FDI stock.[5]
India-UK merchandise exports of USD 13,444.19 million for FY2025-26, matching the USD 13.44 billion in the PIB CETA release. India's total exports in FY2025-26 were a record USD 863.1 billion, with the UK named among the drivers alongside the UAE and Australia.
Confirms the agreement 'was signed in 2025' and 'comes into force on 15 July 2026'; records Commons debate 9 February 2026 and Lords debate 4 March 2026. Briefing published 26 June 2026, last modified 22 July 2026.
Operational confirmation: 'The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) enters into force on 15 July 2026', with preference-claim document codes activated for imports into the UK.
The registry records conflicting official statements as conflicts. Nothing below is averaged, bridged or decided between; each figure is shown with the government that published it, and where the registry itself records a resolution, the resolution is shown in its own words.
India's offer is stated differently by the two governments. UK (DBT conclusion summary): 'India will remove or reduce tariffs, or pre-existing zero tariffs, on 90% tariff lines, which will cover 92% of existing goods imports from the UK (based on 2022 trade)', with '64% of tariff lines ... eligible for tariff-free imports into India' on day one, 'covering GBP 1.9 billion of current UK exports to India (2022)', rising after 10-year staging to '85% tariff lines and 66% of existing Indian imports from the UK'. India (PIB): India 'offered tariff concessions on 89.5% of its tariff lines', with '24.5% of the UK's export value will receive immediate duty-free access'.
The 90% (UK) vs 89.5% (India) tariff-line figures and the 92%-of-imports (UK, 2022 basis) vs 24.5%-of-export-value-immediately (India) figures are recorded exactly as each government states them. They are NOT reconciled in any official source — the UK figure is a cumulative post-staging coverage measure on a 2022 trade base and the Indian 24.5% is a day-one measure. Do not blend. See Not yet verified.
UK car manufacturers benefit from a quota that reduces Indian tariffs from up to 110% to 10%. The arrangement 'starts with internal combustion engine (ICE) cars but transitions to electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid'. Indian EV and hybrid access to the UK market is 'staged and under a quota to support the UK auto industry's transition'.
The 17 June 2026 GOV.UK announcement gives the same concession as 'Automotives: reduced from 100% to 10% (under quota)' — 110% in the conclusion summary vs 100% in the June 2026 news story. Both are recorded; neither is reconciled by an official source. Quota volumes, phase-in years and the ICE-to-EV transition schedule are not stated in either source. See Not yet verified.
MODELLED PROJECTIONS, NOT MEASURED OUTCOMES. Baseline is the 2019 Global Trade Analysis Project dataset. The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee separately cites potential duty savings of 'up to GBP 3.2 billion' after ten years, plus modelled automotive export increases of 311% and spirits export increases of 180%; the GBP 3.2 billion figure is not reconciled with the impact assessment's approximately GBP 900 million annual figure in any source located — see Not yet verified.
DURATION DISCREPANCY, RESOLVED: the July 2025 DBT conclusion summary and India's Ministry of Commerce April 2026 PDF both describe a 3-year exemption; the final instrument and the June/July 2026 guidance give 60 months. PIB (17 June 2026) states the exemption was 'extended from 3 to 5 years', which reconciles the two. The 60-month/5-year figure is authoritative. GOV.UK also states 'Indian detached workers will not build entitlement to the UK State Pension' and that the DCC does not affect the UK immigration health surcharge. India's command paper reference is CS India No.2/2026.
The inward stock figures as published are internally odd (a GBP 6.1 billion fall to a GBP 6.1 billion level implies a halving from GBP 12.2 billion, but the stated 49.8% and the stated absolute change are not mutually consistent at the rounding shown). Recorded exactly as published; not corrected, not derived.
Every valued commodity basket on this page belongs to the UK series: it is the only series that publishes one. The Indian government publishes beneficiary sectors and tariff-line counts instead, and those are listed separately below rather than priced.
| Commodity | Value | Share | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous metals | GBP 1.1 bn | 17.5% | an increase of 42.7% |
| Metal ores & scrap | GBP 823 mn | 13% | a decrease of 9.8% |
| Mechanical power generators (intermediate) | GBP 546.5 mn | 8.6% | a decrease of 38.9% |
| Beverages & tobacco | GBP 313.8 mn | 4.9% | an increase of 21.4% |
| General industrial machinery (capital) | GBP 283.1 mn | 4.5% | an increase of 15.0% |
Shares are of UK GOODS exports to India (GBP 6.3 billion), not of total trade. The five named lines together account for 48.5% of UK goods exports to India as published. 'Beverages & tobacco' is the category into which Scotch whisky falls — the CETA spirits concession is expected to act here.[5]
| Commodity | Value | Share | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clothing | GBP 975.9 mn | 9% | an increase of 8.1% |
| Mechanical power generators (intermediate) | GBP 897 mn | 8.2% | an increase of 15.3% |
| Refined oil | GBP 884 mn | 8.1% | a decrease of 34.4% |
| Medicinal & pharmaceutical products | GBP 693.4 mn | 6.4% | a decrease of 1.8% |
| Organic chemicals | GBP 548.1 mn | 5% | a decrease of 21.3% |
Shares are of UK GOODS imports from India (GBP 10.9 billion). Clothing is the single largest line and is a direct beneficiary of the CETA textiles concession (1,143 zero-duty tariff lines). Refined oil fell 34.4% year on year, the largest move in the basket.[5]
| Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | GBP 8.3 bn | 60.3% |
| Telecommunications, computer and information services | GBP 1.7 bn | 12.6% |
| Other Business Services | GBP 1.3 bn | 9.5% |
Shares are of UK services exports to India (GBP 13.8 billion). Travel at 60.3% dominates the UK's services exports to India — this is education and tourism spend by Indian visitors in the UK, not a tradeable-services concession item.[5]
| Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other Business Services | GBP 11.3 bn | 65.5% |
| Telecommunications, computer and information services | GBP 2.4 bn | 13.7% |
| Travel | GBP 2.3 bn | 13.3% |
Shares are of UK services imports from India (GBP 17.3 billion). 'Other Business Services' at GBP 11.3 billion is the single largest item in the entire India-UK trade relationship in either direction and any category — larger than all UK goods exports to India combined. This is where the mobility and DCC provisions bite.[5]
Period as given: Sectors named as CETA beneficiaries; no per-line values published.
Zero-duty access on 1,143 tariff lines
Zero-duty access on 1,659 tariff lines; exports projected to exceed USD 7.5 billion by 2029-30
Tariffs eliminated; prior UK shrimp tariffs ranged from 4.2% to 8.5%
Exports projected to exceed USD 900 million
named without further detail in source
named without further detail in source
named without further detail in source
named without further detail in source
The Government of India publishes CETA beneficiary SECTORS and tariff-line COUNTS, not commodity-level export values to the UK. No official Indian commodity-value breakdown of India-UK trade could be sourced in this pass — see Not yet verified. The UK/ONS basket above is therefore the only officially valued goods breakdown in this file, and it is on the UK series.[6][5]
This is a live agreement, so its mechanics are operative rather than prospective: origin proofs are being lodged, clearance clocks are running and the first review deadlines are already dated. The entries are listed as the registry states them.
Goods qualify as originating if wholly obtained in the territory of one or both parties (Article 3.3), or if they meet the product-specific rule in Annex 3A. Product-specific rules may require 'a change in tariff classification (CTC), a minimum qualifying value content (QVC), or a specific production process'. QVC may be calculated by a build-down method (subtracting non-originating material value from total value) or a build-up method (based on originating materials value). There is no single universal value-addition percentage across the agreement; the threshold is set per product line in Annex 3A. Bilateral cumulation applies: 'Originating materials from India or the UK can be used in production in the other party and treated as originating.'
No single headline value-addition percentage should be quoted for this agreement. The guidance's worked example is electric motors (HS 8501), which may qualify on 'at least 40% of the final product's value' or alternatively where 'all of the imported inputs undergo a change in tariff heading'. Annex 3A was not read line by line in this pass — see Not yet verified.
Source organisation: UK Government Business Growth Service (business.gov.uk) guidance on the UK-India trade deal; underlying treaty text at GOV.UK CETA Chapter 3 and Annex 3A
For imports into the UK, preference claims may be supported by one of three proofs of origin: an Origin Declaration (document code 9001), a Certificate of Origin (document code N954), or Importer's Knowledge (document code U112). An origin declaration 'is valid for at least 12 months from the date of completion'. Exporters must keep 'all records related to the exportation of your goods for at least 5 years from the date of the origin declaration'. UK exporters register with HMRC; details are transmitted to India's Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). Direct-consignment rule (Article 3.14): goods 'must remain under customs control if they transit through a non-party country and must not undergo further processing outside the UK or India'.
The three-proof structure (including Importer's Knowledge) is unusually permissive by Indian FTA standards. No de minimis / tolerance percentage was stated in the guidance read — see Not yet verified.
Source organisation: HM Revenue & Customs — UK Integrated Online Tariff (document codes); validity, record-keeping, registration and transit rules from the UK Government Business Growth Service (business.gov.uk)
Chapter 5 imposes specific timing obligations. Release of goods: parties shall 'release goods within 48 hours of arrival at the point of presentation to customs' (Article 5.5). Perishable goods: 'release in the shortest possible time', with priority inspection scheduling and release outside business hours in exceptional circumstances (Article 5.6). Advance rulings: to be issued 'within three months or in such shorter time as prescribed' (Article 5.8). Pre-arrival processing: 'advance electronic submission and processing of customs documentation ... prior to arrival' (Article 5.5). Parties must establish or maintain an Authorised Economic Operator programme (Article 5.9) and a single window (Article 5.13). The Customs and Trade Facilitation Working Group must 'meet within six months of the date of entry into force of this Agreement and thereafter annually' (Article 5.18).
The 48-hour release commitment is the single hardest logistics-relevant obligation in the agreement. The six-month working-group deadline means the first CTF Working Group is due by 15 January 2027; no official source located records it having met as at 18 August 2026.
Source organisation: UK Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK) — CETA Chapter 5, Customs and Trade Facilitation
Business Visitors: 'up to 6 months to participate in specific business activities'. Intra-Corporate Transferees (senior or specialist): the UK currently permits 'up to 5 years in any 6-year period (or 9 years for high earners)', and the agreement guarantees 'at least 3 years'. Graduate Trainees: 'up to 12 months, for career development or to obtain training'. Investors / expansion workers: 'up to one year and is renewable to a maximum stay of 2 years'. Contractual Service Suppliers: 'up to 12 months to deliver their services'. Independent Professionals (self-employed, select sectors): 'up to a year'.
India's own framing (PIB, 24 July 2025) lists the same four headline categories — Contractual Service Suppliers, Business Visitors, Intra-Corporate Transferees and Independent Professionals — plus 'simplified visa procedures and liberalised entry categories', without stating durations.
Source organisation: UK Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK) — UK-India Free Trade Agreement Business Mobility explainer, published 15 July 2026
A collective annual cap of 1,800 places applies to Indian nationals in three occupations combined: chefs de cuisine, yoga teachers and classical musicians. The UK Government states three explicit limits: 'No UK mobility visa routes offer a path to settlement and this deal does not change that'; 'Nothing in the agreement affects the UK's right or ability to control our borders'; and 'We have not created any new visa routes in this agreement.'
The Government of India describes the same provision positively as '1,800 Indian chefs, yoga instructors, and classical musicians gain dedicated annual access opportunities' (PIB, 17 June 2026). Both sides state the number as 1,800 per year; the UK states it as a collective cap across the three occupations. This is the most frequently misreported provision in the agreement and both official framings are recorded here deliberately.
Source organisation: UK Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK), 15 July 2026
Employees moving between the UK and India, and their employers, are liable to pay social security contributions in only one country at a time. For detached workers the pre-existing 52-week exemption is 'extended reciprocally to 60 months'. GOV.UK notes that 'Indian detached workers will not build entitlement to the UK State Pension', and that the DCC 'will not affect individuals' rights to access benefits from the country in which they pay social security contributions or the requirement to pay the UK immigration health surcharge'. The instrument entered into force alongside CETA on 15 July 2026.
The DCC is a separate treaty instrument (CS India No.2/2026), not a chapter of CETA, though the two entered into force on the same date. See agreement.double_contribution_convention for the 3-year vs 60-month discrepancy across earlier sources and its resolution.
Source organisation: UK Department for Business and Trade / HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK) — DCC explainer, updated 17 June 2026
The UK will introduce its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on 1 January 2027. It 'will apply to specific imports to the UK from the aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen and iron & steel sectors', with a minimum registration threshold of GBP 50,000 of goods over the relevant period, above which the liable person must register with HMRC.
IMPORTANT NEGATIVE FINDING. Neither India nor any free trade agreement partner is mentioned or exempted in the UK CBAM factsheet, and no official source located connects UK CBAM to CETA, records an India-specific carve-out, or records a CETA rebalancing or compensation mechanism for CBAM. Widely reported claims of an India-UK CBAM understanding are NOT supported by any official source fetched in this pass. See Not yet verified.
Source organisation: HM Treasury / HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK) — CBAM factsheet, first published 24 April 2025, last updated 28 November 2025
India's concessions are back-loaded. 64% of Indian tariff lines are eligible for tariff-free imports on day one, covering GBP 1.9 billion of UK exports on a 2022 base; after 10 years of staging this rises to 85% of tariff lines and 66% of existing Indian imports from the UK. Correspondingly, UK duty savings are estimated at 'up to an estimated GBP 400 million a year, from India cutting its tariffs on existing trade alone, which could increase to around GBP 900 million a year after staging over 10 years'. Whisky and gin reach their 40% floor only 'from year 10 onwards'.
The practical consequence is that the corridor's tariff picture at entry into force (15 July 2026) is materially different from its steady state in 2036. Any modelling of CETA effects must state which point on the staging curve it uses.
Source organisation: UK Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK)
The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee warned that 'billions of pounds of tariffs savings from the UK's trade deal with India could be jeopardised by deep cuts to UK export support staff', 'with Government intending to cut almost 40% of the UK trade staff who would help British business use the deal to increase their exports to India'. Committee Chair Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP: 'Parliament is being asked to ratify a deal promising billions in tariff savings while the Government is simultaneously cutting nearly 40 per cent of the export staff needed.' The Government responded that 'India has one of the DBT's biggest in-country overseas teams in the world (only behind the US and China)', that it has 'engaged over 7,000 organisations on CETA', and that 'Entry into force is the start, not the end.'
This is the principal officially-recorded implementation risk to the corridor. The Government did not state a headcount figure in response, and did not directly rebut the 40% figure in the text located.
Source organisation: UK Parliament, House of Commons Business and Trade Committee — report HC 996, 21 January 2026; Government Response HC 1832, 17 April 2026
The UK Government committed to 'endeavour to publish provisional data on utilisation rates within the first year after entry into force - subject to information provision from Indian customs'. No utilisation data had been published by either government as at 18 August 2026, four weeks after entry into force.
The commitment is conditional ('endeavour', 'subject to information provision from Indian customs') and therefore not a firm publication date.
Source organisation: UK Parliament, House of Commons Business and Trade Committee — Government Response (HC 1832), 17 April 2026
The registry is explicit that this corridor has no officially designated physical infrastructure: no port pair, no shipping service and no maritime initiative is named by either government. What is recorded is one ceremonial node, an air-services negotiation still described as under discussion, and the treaty’s own clearance-time obligations.
The Government of India marked CETA's entry into force with a ceremonial flagging-off of an export consignment destined for the United Kingdom at the Inland Container Depot (ICD), Whitefield, Bengaluru, on 15 July 2026. The ceremony was organised by the DGFT office in Bengaluru. Jindal Aluminium Limited, represented by Shri Manoj Randiwe, General Manager (Exports), participated.
This is the only specific Indian logistics node officially named in connection with the India-UK corridor in this research pass. The release does not identify the goods in the consignment, the onward seaport or airport, or who performed the flag-off. It is a ceremonial marker, not a designation of ICD Whitefield as a corridor gateway.
Source organisation: Government of India, Press Information Bureau — 'India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) Comes into Force; Export Consignment Flagged Off at Bengaluru', 15 July 2026
In the India-UK Joint Statement of 9 October 2025, 'Both Prime Ministers reiterated their commitment to improving connectivity and enhancing cooperation in the aviation sector and welcomed that both sides are discussing the renewal of India-UK Air Services Agreement.'
STATUS AS AT 13 AUGUST 2026: under discussion only. No official source located records the renewed Air Services Agreement having been concluded, signed or brought into force, and no seat or frequency entitlements are stated. Air cargo capacity on the corridor is therefore governed by the pre-existing bilateral, which was not located in fetchable form.
Source organisation: UK Prime Minister's Office / Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (GOV.UK) — India-UK Joint Statement, 9 October 2025
The agreement's operative logistics commitments are timing obligations rather than infrastructure. Parties must release goods within 48 hours of presentation to customs, release perishables 'in the shortest possible time' with priority inspection, accept pre-arrival electronic documentation, and maintain an Authorised Economic Operator programme and a single window.
Recorded under logistics because for a corridor with no land border and no shared infrastructure programme, clearance time is the corridor's principal controllable friction.
Source organisation: UK Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK) — CETA Chapter 5, Articles 5.5, 5.6, 5.9, 5.13
No Government of India or UK Government source located in this pass designates specific seaport pairs, names a shipping service, or announces a port-infrastructure project as an India-UK corridor node. This contrasts with the India-Saudi corridor, where the Saudi Ports Authority names a specific Jeddah-Mundra service.
NEGATIVE FINDING recorded deliberately. The 9 October 2025 Joint Statement — the fullest bilateral connectivity document located — addresses aviation, technology, critical minerals, education and defence, but names no ports and no maritime corridor initiative. See Not yet verified.
Source organisation: UK Prime Minister's Office / Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (GOV.UK) — India-UK Joint Statement, 9 October 2025, cited as the most comprehensive bilateral connectivity text located and as evidence of the absence
Signed by India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, witnessed by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Sir Keir Starmer. Zero-duty access on 99% of tariff lines covering nearly 100% of trade value. Goyal: 'This CETA marks a milestone in the trade relations between two major economies.' The India-UK Vision 2035 and a Defence Industrial Roadmap were adopted alongside. The UK simultaneously announced GBP 6 billion in investment and export wins.
Source organisation: Government of India, Press Information Bureau; UK treaty text collection published the same day at gov.uk
Verbatim: 'Both leaders looked forward to the ratification of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) as early as possible to realise its benefits.' The mission announced GBP 1.3 billion of new Indian FDI into the UK and GBP 3.6 billion of UK investment into India, with 10,600 jobs (6,900 from Indian investment into the UK, 3,000+ from Yash Raj Films productions, 700+ from a GBP 350 million Northern Ireland defence deal). Named deals included TVS Motor GBP 250 million, TVS Mobility GBP 250 million, Cyient GBP 100 million, Graphcore up to GBP 1 billion AI campus, Tide GBP 500 million and Revolut GBP 500 million. Also announced: an India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre with at least GBP 24 million of joint funding in phase one, an India-UK Joint Centre for AI, a Critical Minerals Processing and Downstream Collaboration Guild, aviation-sector cooperation including discussions on renewing the Air Services Agreement, and nine UK universities establishing Indian campuses.
Source organisation: UK Prime Minister's Office / Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (GOV.UK); investment and jobs figures from GOV.UK news 'PM wraps up India trade trip with 10,600 jobs secured', 9 October 2025
The treaty was presented to Parliament in January 2026 as CS India No.1/2026 (CP 1496), with the GOV.UK publication dated 21 January 2026, marking 'the start of the official scrutiny period in Parliament'. The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee published report HC 996 the same day, warning that 'billions of pounds of tariffs savings ... could be jeopardised by deep cuts to UK export support staff', citing intended cuts of 'almost 40%' of the relevant UK trade staff. Chair Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP: 'Parliament is being asked to ratify a deal promising billions in tariff savings while the Government is simultaneously cutting nearly 40 per cent of the export staff needed.'
Source organisation: UK Parliament, House of Commons Business and Trade Committee; command paper details from GOV.UK (CS India No.1/2026)
Recorded in the House of Commons Library research briefing CBP-10258 as a Commons debate on the agreement during the parliamentary scrutiny period. A House of Lords debate followed on 4 March 2026, and the Lords International Agreements Committee issued a report.
Source organisation: UK Parliament, House of Commons Library — research briefing CBP-10258 (published 26 June 2026, last modified 22 July 2026)
Modelled long-run effects: UK GDP +0.13% (GBP 4.8 billion), bilateral trade +nearly 39% (GBP 25.5 billion a year), UK exports to India +nearly 60% (GBP 15.7 billion), UK imports from India +25% (GBP 9.8 billion), UK real wages +0.19% (GBP 2.2 billion a year). Duties on UK exports to India fall by around GBP 400 million at entry into force, doubling to approximately GBP 900 million after 10 years; duties on UK imports from India fall by GBP 220 million. Baseline is the 2019 Global Trade Analysis Project dataset.
Source organisation: UK Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK)
Seventh Special Report (HC 1832). The Government stated 'Entry into force is the start, not the end', that 'India has one of the DBT's biggest in-country overseas teams in the world (only behind the US and China)', and that it had 'engaged over 7,000 organisations on CETA'. It committed to publish an implementation plan 'no later than three months before entry into force', to report on professional qualifications 'within twelve months of the Agreement taking effect', to a 'built-in review within five years, and every five years after that', and to 'endeavour to publish provisional data on utilisation rates within the first year after entry into force - subject to information provision from Indian customs'.
Source organisation: UK Parliament, House of Commons Business and Trade Committee
PIB, verbatim: 'Following the successful completion of internal procedures and ratifications by both governments, the agreements will formally enter into force on 15th July 2026.' Goyal: 'By securing immediate duty-free access on 99% of our tariff lines, we have systematically dismantled long-standing tariff walls.' The UK announced the same date, with Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle stating: 'We are bringing our landmark trade deal with India into force as quickly as we can, because we want businesses and the public to feel the benefits immediately, including cuts to tariffs of GBP 400m within the first year alone.' Businesses were given 28 days' notice. PIB confirmed the DCC exemption period was 'extended from 3 to 5 years', benefiting over 75,000 Indian professionals and 900+ companies with estimated savings of more than USD 600 million a year.
Source organisation: Government of India, Press Information Bureau; UK announcement at gov.uk 'The countdown begins: UK-India FTA enters into force on July 15th', 17 June 2026
Verbatim: 'The UK has signed a National Insurance Double Contributions Convention (DCC) with India which comes into force on 15 July 2026.' Guidance covers detached workers, flight and cabin crew, vessel workers, government and armed forces personnel, and voluntary contributions, with the 52-week exemption extended reciprocally to 60 months.
Source organisation: HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK)
'The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) enters into force on 15 July 2026.' Preference claims for imports into the UK may be supported by an Origin Declaration (9001), a Certificate of Origin (N954) or Importer's Knowledge (U112).
Source organisation: HM Revenue & Customs — UK Integrated Online Tariff
PIB, verbatim: 'The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a landmark milestone in the strategic partnership between India and the United Kingdom, entered into force today.' India marked the day with a ceremonial flagging-off of a UK-bound export consignment at the Inland Container Depot (ICD), Whitefield, Bengaluru, organised by the DGFT office Bengaluru. PIB set out the corridor baseline: FY2025-26 merchandise trade of USD 25.12 billion (India's exports USD 13.44 billion, imports USD 11.68 billion) and 2024 services trade of USD 35.44 billion (exports USD 21.66 billion, imports USD 13.78 billion); zero-duty access on nearly 99% of India's exports covering almost 100% of trade value; India offering concessions on 89.5% of its tariff lines with 24.5% of UK export value duty-free immediately; 1,143 zero-duty textile lines and 1,659 engineering lines; 12 service sectors and 137 sub-sectors. GOV.UK published its Business Mobility explainer the same day.
Source organisation: Government of India, Press Information Bureau; Bengaluru ceremony at PIB PRID=2284951; mobility explainer at gov.uk
Verbatim: 'The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), one of the biggest trade deals of modern times, came into force on 15 July.' 'Starting 15 July, 99% of Indian goods entering the UK and 90% of UK goods entering India will either be duty free or reduced in tariffs.' 'UK and India total trade, worth GBP 48 billion in 2025, is set for an immediate boost.' 'In the long run, the deal is expected to boost bilateral trade by GBP 25.5 billion, Indian GDP by GBP 5.1 billion, and UK GDP by GBP 4.8 billion every year.'
Source organisation: UK Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK)
'India recorded highest-ever exports in FY 2025-26 reaching a record US$ 863.1 billion.' India-UK merchandise exports for FY2025-26 are given as USD 13,444.19 million, corroborating the USD 13.44 billion in the 15 July CETA release. The release notes that recent FTAs provide preferential access with 99% of Indian exports to the UK receiving tariff benefits.
Source organisation: Government of India, Press Information Bureau
Total trade in goods and services of GBP 48.4 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2026, up 5.7% (GBP 2.6 billion). UK exports GBP 20.2 billion (+14.1%), UK imports GBP 28.2 billion (+0.4%), UK trade deficit GBP 8.0 billion, narrowed from GBP 10.4 billion. India accounted for 2.5% of total UK trade. Services made up 64.3% of the relationship. This is the last official statistical snapshot BEFORE CETA took effect, and therefore the baseline against which the agreement's effects will be measured.
Source organisation: UK Department for Business and Trade, drawing on ONS and HMRC
Where an item below quotes a figure, the marker points to the source this page does carry on that subject — not to a source for the unverified figure itself, which by definition has none.
The registry records what could not be sourced as well as what could. These are open items, listed exactly as the registry states them — not gaps we have filled from memory or inference.
Numbered to match the markers in the text above. Every figure on this page traces to one of these; nothing is estimated, averaged or carried over from outside the registry.
Data verified 18 August 2026 · rendered from the corridor registry.
Developed by Amit Jain at allfrontierglobal.com
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Developed by Amit Jain at allfrontierglobal.com · purposed.in · purposed · purposed2 · merchcomp.com · uuka.org
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