The free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK is anticipated to be finalised this year, with UK MP Bob Blackman asserting that it would be a "mutually beneficial trade deal". In an exclusive interview with ABP Live in Delhi, Blackman, MP from Harrow East, said the delay in finalising the India-UK FTA was due to constant regime change in Britain but with Rishi Sunak at the helm, it could be expected sooner.
Both sides formally launched FTA negotiations in January 2022, with former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson establishing a Diwali deadline for its conclusion. The negotiations are still continuing, with the seventh round of talks held in January 2023 in New Delhi.
"We have changed three UK Prime Ministers since the talks were initiated last year. That of course has caused disruption. We have had whole sets of new ministers in each administration, which has then also not helped. From that perspective, there have been different priorities from different prime ministers," the UK MP said.
"Now that Rishi Sunak is the first Hindu prime minister of the United Kingdom, he clearly has strong links with India. He wants to do the trade deal as fast as possible but it is going to be a mutually beneficial trade deal... We are at the point where by those negotiations, as we say the 7th round is done, we have made progress and there's still a way to make more progress. What I am keen to hear is while I am in India that if there sticking points what they are," Blackman added who is in India on a "personal trip".
Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal announced on Wednesday that the upcoming round of negotiations for the proposed FTA between India and the UK will take place from March 20-24. Following the eighth round of talks in March, the progress made will be evaluated to determine how many additional rounds may be necessary.
'No Cap On Indian Students But Do Want Complete Brain Drain'
The British High Commission granted 1.18 lakh visas to Indian students in the year ending June 2022. As per the UK Immigration Statistics, Indian student visa recorded an 89% increase in 2022 from the previous year. Due to continuous high volumes of student visa applications, British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis, through a video statement in October 2022, acknowledged the “unprecedented surge” causing delays in their standard of processing time.
Despite the skyrocketing demand of student visas to the UK, Secretary of State for the Department for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch ruled out any free movement with India through FTA.
Speaking to ABP Live, Blackman stressed that despite the high volume, there's still no cap on Indian students who can apply for visas as UK requires talented individuals while ensuring that the immigration system is fair and secure.
"Let us be very clear on that. There's no cap whatsoever on how many Indian students can come over to the United Kingdom. What is important is that they come as students to study. We had a problem going back in the previous administration... where people literally were coming from India, they weren't studying. They would get their papers stamped and go off to work in a local institution like a local curry shop or local factory, that has stopped. There's no cap on the number of young people from India coming and studying properly in our great institutions and universities," he said.
"In terms of visas, clearly, we want the brightest and the best people to come to the United Kingdom. We would like them to come and work in the UK. Come for a period of time, and then come back after two or three years with good relations with the united kingdom and use that information to develop India," Blackman said adding "What we do not want to do is have a complete brain drain of all the best and the brightest coming to the United Kingdom and then maybe not returning..."
On an increased quota for Indians in the Chevening Scholarship, the UK MP said "reviews are going on".
"The obvious thing is that our fees are quite high in terms of Indian students coming to the United Kingdom. Therefore, the scholarships become a really premium proposition for people from India who are coming from poor backgrounds and can't afford the fees... We enable those people to be able to come to the UK and give them the life chances they deserve. A lot of reviews are going on in our institutions on how to enable that to happen," Blackman said.
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India Should Have Permanent Seat At UNSC
Batting for India's permanent place at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Blackman explained why it is beneficial for the UK to keep strong ties with India.
"India clearly should have a permanent seat at the UNSC, and indeed India's leadership of the G20, at the moment, should be paramount. As India's economy grows that demonstrates the powerhouse India is. Of course, there's a very young population growing all the time. So from that perspective, India will take overtake every nation economically... That's one of the reasons the tie-up with India is in the United Kingdom's interest," the British MP said.