India-UK trade pact to take effect July 15, PM Modi calls it ‘historic milestone’

India and the UK will operationalise the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Double Contribution Convention (DCC) on July 15, 2026, ushering in duty-free access for 99% of tariff lines, boosting bilateral trade, and extending social security exemptions for Indian professionals from 3 to 5 years.

New Delhi: India and the United Kingdom on Wednesday announced that the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) will enter into force on July 15, marking a new phase in the country’s economic diplomacy.

Simultaneously, the Agreement on Social Security — referred to as the Double Contribution Convention (DCC) — will also come into effect on July 15, reinforcing the mobility and competitiveness of Indian professionals in the United Kingdom.

---

Moreover, the period of exemption under the DCC has been increased from 3 years to 5 years, thereby marking a major gain for India’s temporary workers, according to a Commerce Ministry statement.

“A historic milestone for India-UK relations. Delighted to note that the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement will enter into force on 15th July 2026. This agreement will significantly boost our bilateral trade and investment,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X.

“It will also unlock numerous opportunities for Indian farmers, workers, MSMEs, startups and innovators and contribute meaningfully to the realisation of Viksit Bharat 2047. Both PM Starmer and I, who are in Evian for the G7 Summit, are naturally very happy with the significant momentum being added to our economic ties,” he added.

The groundwork for this historic agreement was laid in May 2021 through the Enhanced Trade Partnership and the adoption of the India–UK Roadmap 2030, which set the goal of elevating bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and doubling trade to $100 billion by 2030.

“The simultaneous enforcement of the CETA and the Double Contribution Convention on 15th July 2026 will open up significant new opportunities for India’s exports. By securing immediate duty-free access on 99 per cent of our tariff lines, we have systematically dismantled long-standing tariff walls,” Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said.

This will effectively level the playing field, allowing our textiles, leather, marine, engineering, and processed food sectors to compete with no disadvantage and supply their world-class products, Goyal added.

Comprising 30 chapters, CETA establishes a new paradigm for next-generation trade pacts, directly supporting India’s “Viksit Bharat 2047” vision.

Beyond traditional tariff-cutting, the agreement modernises bilateral engagement by integrating traditional goods and services with advanced disciplines like digital trade, telecommunications, financial services, intellectual property, and — for the first time bilaterally — government procurement.

The operationalisation of the CETA and the simultaneous DCC will mark a structural transformation in India’s global trade architecture, said the ministry. At the same time, India has protected sensitive sectors, including dairy products, cereals, millets, edible oils, oilseeds, apples and several vegetable products.