New Delhi, Sep 3 (PTI) Negotiations for the proposed free commerce settlement between India and the UK are on the final stage and the deadline of Diwali (in October) wouldn’t be missed, commerce secretary B V R Subrahmanyam mentioned on Saturday.

In April, either side had set the Diwali deadline for the conclusion of an India-UK Free Commerce Settlement (FTA).

“We’re on observe (to fulfill the deadline). We’re within the final levels. 19 out of 26 chapters are closed. There are a few areas the place we’re negotiating… Diwali deadline will not be going to be missed,” he advised reporters right here.

Talks are occurring on sure items like automobiles and spirits from the UK facet and sure merchandise from the Indian facet.

In January, each nations formally launched talks for a free commerce settlement to spice up bilateral commerce and investments.

In such pacts, two nations both remove or considerably cut back customs duties on the utmost variety of items traded between them in addition to easing norms for selling investments and companies commerce.

India’s essential exports to the UK embody ready-made clothes and textiles, gems and jewelry, engineering items, petroleum and petrochemical merchandise, transport gear and components, spices, steel merchandise, equipment and devices, pharma and marine objects.

Main imports embody treasured and semi-precious stones, ores and steel scraps, engineering items, skilled devices, non-ferrous metals, chemical substances and equipment.

Within the companies sector, the UK is without doubt one of the largest markets in Europe for Indian IT companies. The bilateral commerce has elevated to USD 17.5 billion in 2021-22 in comparison with USD 13.2 billion in 2020-21. India’s exports stood at USD 10.5 billion in 2021-22, whereas imports had been USD 7 billion.

He added that India can see USD 10-15 billion uptake in exports from this pact.

On the proposed commerce pact with Canada, the secretary mentioned talks are on observe and two rounds have already been concluded.

“The third spherical will probably be on the finish of September and the goal is that we’ll conclude it by December,” Subrahmanyam mentioned.

With the European Union, he mentioned that the second spherical will occur now and “we expect (it to conclude) in June-July subsequent yr”.

With Australia, he mentioned the commerce pact is predicted to get approval from their parliament by the top of this month. It was signed in April this yr.

“We’re pushing our FTAs… FTAs are an vital a part of our commerce technique ..It is going to open new markets,” he mentioned. PTI RR HVA