Piyush Goyal heralds India-UK CETA launch on July 15

India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was honoured with the special award for "Exceptional Leadership in Elevating UK‑India Relations" at the 10th UK‑India Awards in London. The ceremony recognised his role in finalising the India‑UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which is scheduled to enter into force on 15 July 2026.

Goyal said the agreement will give India duty‑free market access for 99 % of its exports to the UK and expand cooperation in services, technology, education, defence and clean energy. To help businesses exploit the deal, the Indian Ministry of Commerce will deploy 1,000 trade advisers nationwide and upgrade its trade portal. He also highlighted a five‑year exemption from UK social‑security contributions for eligible Indian professionals.

During his three‑day visit, Goyal met with UK‑India Business Council members, senior executives from global firms and discussed investment opportunities, supply‑chain resilience and financial‑sector support for cross‑border trade. The minister stressed that transformational growth should be the focus of the partnership and that CETA could add roughly £48 billion to bilateral trade annually.