When the India UK Free Trade Agreement was signed three months ago, it was hailed as a watershed moment. Rightly so: reduced duties across almost all tariff lines, preferential access for Indian exports, and tailwinds for textiles, pharma, gems, and engineering.
We recently had the opportunity to attend the HSBC Webinar on Navigating the UK–India FTA through an invitation from the UK India Business Council, where the Chief Negotiators from both sides shared their perspectives. It was a reminder that FTAs don’t deliver benefits by themselves. Duty-free access is only the promise. The practice depends on how companies govern their supply chains, contracts, and compliance.
Our view is that three imperatives will define whether the India–UK FTA becomes a competitive edge or a missed opportunity:
1) Proof, not presumption: Preferential access rests on demonstrating origin and compliance. Without rigorous systems, paperwork will erode opportunity.
2) Partnership, not procurement: Suppliers are now strategic partners. One weak link can collapse eligibility across the chain.
3) Structures, not sentiment: Contracts and governance frameworks must be trigger driven and systematic. Hope and goodwill are no substitutes for enforceability.
The larger lesson? An FTA is less about “zero duty” and more about “zero uncertainty.” The companies that succeed will be those that convert a policy framework into an operational playbook combining discipline, foresight, and resilience.
The India–UK FTA is a generational opportunity. Its rewards will flow not to the most optimistic, but to the most prepared.
