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Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will visit the United Kingdom from 25 to 27 June 2026 for high-level talks and industry outreach ahead of the 15 July 2026 implementation of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and the Double Contribution Convention.
The visit is aimed at aligning regulatory roadmaps and finalising administrative mechanisms to ensure a smooth rollout of tariff cuts and professional mobility provisions under the landmark deal. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said Goyal will hold a high-level bilateral meeting with Rt. Hon. Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Government of the United Kingdom. "The engagement marks an important step towards the operationalisation of the agreements and the strengthening of the economic partnership between the two countries," the Ministry said. The discussions will focus on aligning regulatory roadmaps, streamlining cross-border customs coordination and finalising administrative mechanisms to facilitate the smooth implementation of CETA and the DCC. According to the Ministry, the bilateral talks will review preparedness for CETA's tariff liberalisation commitments, which will provide enhanced market access opportunities for Indian exports in the United Kingdom. "Discussions will also cover the operational roadmap for the Double Contribution Convention, which is expected to establish a streamlined mechanism to address dual social security contribution requirements for eligible temporary workers, thereby supporting greater mobility of professionals and businesses," the Ministry said. The two sides will also discuss operationalisation of mutual market access commitments across key services sectors and review measures aimed at strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties. Goyal's programme includes extensive Government-to-Business engagements. The Ministry said he will address the opening plenary of the India Global Forum on "Capital, Innovation and the UK-India Moment" and hold standalone interactions with senior executives of HSBC Global Trade Solutions and Rolls-Royce on strategic investments and manufacturing partnerships in India. He will also participate in a business plenary and luncheon hosted by the UK-India Business Council with C-suite executives from Tata, TCS, HSBC, Prudential, De Beers and Baker McKenzie. To deepen investor engagement, the Ministry said Goyal will lead an exclusive roundtable hosted by Asia House with senior executives from JP Morgan, Standard Chartered, Lloyds, Morgan Stanley and Arup to discuss India's industrial competitiveness and integration with global supply chains. The visit will conclude with an interaction with the visiting Indian industry delegation and the British-Indian business community. "The visit underscores India's commitment to engaging with global businesses and investors and is expected to contribute to the shared objective of expanding India-UK economic cooperation and advancing the target of achieving USD 120 billion in bilateral trade by 2030," the Ministry said. (ANI)
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