A British business delegation has arrived in India to assess the commercial prospects that the UK-India Free Trade Agreement could open up for companies on both sides. More than 100 companies spanning a variety of industries are taking part in a trade mission valued at one billion pounds, travelling alongside three cabinet secretaries and seven mayors drawn from Northern England.

Deals totalling nearly £12 billion have been logged between the two countries in the period following their Free Trade Agreement, reached in July 2025, with both sides pointing to job creation across their respective workforces as a measure of the arrangement's early returns. Three months on from the UK-India trade deal taking effect, the pact is forecast to add £25.5 billion annually to the flow of commerce between the two countries over the longer term.

A trade agreement between the United Kingdom and India has created pathways for commerce and industry spanning both nations, with stated ambitions to expand collaboration across sectors including manufacturing and education. Proponents argue that the agreement carries the capacity to reposition Northern England and Scotland as twin anchors of the UK's trade and investment relationship with India.

Jonathan Reynolds, serving as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, described the India trade agreement as having unlocked access to new opportunities, with businesses across northern England now pursuing those opportunities alongside regional mayors who are working to attract jobs, investment, and economic growth through bilateral partnerships.

Joining the Business Secretary on the India visit were eight regional leaders from northern England — seven Mayors and one combined authority head — alongside the Secretaries of State for both Scotland and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The delegation brings together a cross-sector group of organisations — among them the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, the British Meat Processors Association, Fever Tree, Kendamil, the National Farmers' Union, Salmon Scotland, the Scotch Whisky Association, and Walker's Shortbread — pointing to the range of commercial and agricultural ties that connect the UK and India.

The Scotland Secretary, Douglas Alexander, described the involvement of Scottish businesses in the UK Government's coordinated trade mission to India as a welcome development. The trade deal, described as the product of lengthy negotiations, is expected to open a substantial export market for products such as salmon and whisky. Alexander's statement expressed a commitment to supporting Scotland's producers in converting the trade agreement into tangible commercial opportunities, including assistance with accessing and navigating that market.

Environment Secretary Angela Eagle noted that the trade agreement her government reached with India had opened access to one of the world's fastest-expanding economies, adding that efforts were under way to translate the deal's provisions into tangible results for farmers and food and drink producers across Britain. A separate statement noted that Scotland's export performance in markets such as India draws on the broader commercial networks and international standing that come with UK membership, with any growth in overseas sales and inward investment feeding through to jobs and economic activity at home.

The Business Secretary's programme in India includes a meeting with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi, where the two will jointly chair the UK-India Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), as well as a separate session co-chaired with Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh through the UK-India Science and Innovation Council. Those visits are taking place as food and drink exporters from across the United Kingdom use the trip to present their produce and pursue new trade partnerships.

Scheduled engagements in Mumbai place the Business Secretary alongside the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for talks aimed at deepening regional economic ties, with a trade event also on the agenda to put British goods and services in front of potential partners.