‘People said it would never be done’: UK and India trade agreement defies expectations | Trade policy

Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi will sign their £4.8bn trade deal on Thursday morning, concluding three and a half years of negotiations and opening up trade between the UK and India for cars, whisky, clothing and food products.

For the UK, the agreement promises a much-needed economic boost and serves as proof that the country can be nimble on the international stage after Brexit.

For India, it acts a signal to governments and international investors that its £3tn economy is opening up after decades of protectionism. India’s average tariff rate is 13%, compared with the UK’s 1.5%.

Labour ministers clinched the deal within 10 months of entering government, defying expectations – above all their own – about how quickly it could be done.

The negotiations were led by Jonathan…