SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Commerce & Industry | Department of Commerce | Ministry of External Affairs
At a bilateral meeting in Mumbai, the Ministers of Commerce and Industry of India and the United Kingdom outlined a roadmap to operationalise the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Both sides agreed to reconstitute the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) as the institutional mechanism to oversee CETA’s delivery, ensure regulatory coordination, and address non-tariff barriers.
The discussions reaffirmed the shared ambition to double bilateral trade by 2030, leveraging complementarities in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital trade, and services. Roundtables held earlier across priority sectors — including consumer goods, infrastructure, food and drink, technology, financial and professional services, and education — generated policy and industry inputs to guide implementation.
Both countries emphasised supply-chain diversification and resilience amid global trade uncertainties. India highlighted its role as a growth engine for the global economy, while the UK described the deal as its most comprehensive partnership with India to date, ensuring first-mover access for British enterprises to India’s expanding market.
This meeting marks a shift from negotiation to delivery and institutionalisation of India–UK trade commitments. By formalising JETCO as a governance hub for CETA, the two nations aim to accelerate investment flows, reduce regulatory friction, and align standards in technology and services sectors critical to their 2030 trade targets.
See companion Policy Bite: UK PM Leads Largest-Ever Trade Mission to India After Landmark FTA
What is JETCO?
The India–UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) is the principal bilateral platform for economic cooperation, now tasked with coordinating the CETA implementation agenda, monitoring outcomes, and facilitating government–industry dialogue on emerging trade issues.
What is CETA? → The India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a proposed bilateral free trade agreement aimed at reducing tariffs, easing investment flows, and creating smoother market access for goods, services, and technology. It goes beyond traditional trade deals by including chapters on digital trade, intellectual property, labour mobility, sustainability, and standards cooperation. Once implemented, CETA will provide a legal and institutional framework — through JETCO (Joint Economic and Trade Committee) — to monitor progress and address trade barriers, helping both economies double bilateral trade by 2030.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can India and the UK ensure that the institutional framework under JETCO translates CETA’s commitments into measurable gains for MSMEs, exporters, and service professionals on both sides?
Follow the full release here: India–UK Trade Ministers Hold Bilateral Meeting in Mumbai