The signing of the UK–India Free Trade Agreement marks a significant step in the country’s journey to reassert its place on the global stage post-Brexit. With nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins, and more than 2,200 jobs set to be created across the UK, this deal is a welcome shot in the arm for an economy that is in urgent need of long-term, sustainable growth.
As an industrialist, entrepreneur, and proud advocate of British manufacturing through my work at Tratos Ltd and beyond, I view this agreement not only as a milestone in trade diplomacy but as a test of whether the UK is ready to build a 21st-century industrial strategy rooted in resilience, innovation, and sovereign capability.
Deals of this nature must not be judged only by the billions they promise on paper. Their true value lies in how they transform real economies — in how they fuel apprenticeship programmes, create high-value manufacturing jobs, and equip our regions with the tools for long-term prosperity. If handled with foresight, this deal could help shift the UK’s trade profile from a service-heavy model to one that rebalances toward goods, infrastructure, and industrial excellence.
Crucially, this agreement signals the need for a renewed focus on sovereign supply chains. If we are to compete in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and next-generation transport sectors where both the UK and India have complementary strengths, then we must invest in the infrastructure that underpins them. Cables, digital networks, power systems: these are not just background assets, but the frontlines of strategic autonomy.
India is not merely a market of 1.4 billion people; it is a rising technological and industrial power. The UK must approach this partnership with ambition but also humility. That means not just exporting goods, but co-creating technologies, setting shared standards, and leading on global challenges — from AI regulation to climate resilience.
Let this deal be the start of a wider transformation: of how we trade, how we invest, and how we define success. Trade agreements should not be trophies; they should be tools to improve lives, empower workers, and secure the nation’s economic future.
The government has taken a bold step. Now, it must follow through — by supporting domestic manufacturers, investing in critical infrastructure, and ensuring that the benefits of global trade are felt in every region of Britain.
This is what a confident, forward-facing Britain must look like.