&w=3840&q=100)
India-UK FTA offers 1,800 UK visas for chefs, yoga experts, musicians
According to the Indian government, the agreement will open up opportunities for more than 1,800 Indian chefs, yoga instructors and classical musicians to work in Britain every year.
Visa access for services professionals
In a statement, the government said the services sector stands to benefit from broader market access across information technology, finance, law, education, and digital trade. The agreement also streamlines entry routes for Indian professionals, including those on short-term contracts or intra-company transfers.
'Indian professionals, including those deployed by companies to work in the UK across all services sectors, professionals deployed on contracts such as architects, engineers, chefs, yoga instructors, and musicians, will benefit from simplified visa procedures and liberalised entry categories, making it easier for talent to work in the UK,' the statement said.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the FTA improves mobility for Indian workers in key sectors by easing entry rules for contractual service providers, business visitors and independent professionals.
'This FTA will serve as a catalyst for inclusive growth, benefiting farmers, artisans, workers, MSMEs, start-ups, and innovators, while safeguarding India's core interests,' said Goyal.
Recognition of qualifications and regulatory carve-outs
Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), told Business Line India had agreed to recognise UK qualifications in select fields such as law and accounting. However, he added that legal services remain off-limits, and that mutual recognition frameworks are still missing in most regulated professions.
'The agreement ensures no caps on the number of UK service providers, and offers commercial presence rights (Mode 3) across multiple domains,' said Srivastava. 'But India has retained key regulatory carve-outs, especially in legal services, taxation, and national security.'
UK offer limited on professional mobility
Compared to India's commitments, the UK has been more reserved in its services offer. Srivastava pointed out that while Britain has offered commercial presence rights in fields like computer services, consultancy, and environmental services, its commitments on labour mobility are narrow.
'The UK has offered an annual quota of 1,800 visas for niche roles including yoga instructors and classical musicians, but it has not made binding commitments on broader visa categories, including business visitors or IT professionals,' he said.
He also noted that the UK has not agreed to reinstate post-study work visas for Indian students, and that the FTA does not alter Britain's points-based immigration system. Indian professionals will still have to meet the existing requirements for education, salary, and job offers to qualify.
India's global talent moment
Srikanth Iyengar, CEO of upGrad Enterprise, told Business Standard the FTA signals a turning point in how Indian talent is seen abroad.
'This FTA marks a landmark shift in how Indian talent is perceived globally, from back-office support to front-line value creation. India has the strongest advantage – the people advantage. When channelled through structured mobility pathways like these, we are capable of reshaping global talent ecosystems,' Iyengar told Business Standard.
But he added that mobility alone would not suffice in today's competitive environment.
'We must pair it with cultural fluency, compliance-ready skilling, and demand-aligned training. With the right interventions from industry and government, Indian professionals are ready to lead transformation across high-impact sectors. The world is more competitive than ever, and India's moment is now,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
5 minutes ago
- The Hindu
MEA ‘nearly lost the plot' on Indus Treaty negotiations, says former Finance Secretary Subhash Garg
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) nearly 'lost the plot' over the Indus Water Treaty talks with Pakistan in 2016, as senior MEA officials entered into a tussle with the World Bank, before the issue was retrieved — the claim is made by former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, India-appointed Executive Director at the World Bank (2014-2017), in his latest book, which recounts for the first time the tensions between the Modi government and World Bank President Jim Kim over the Kishenganga hydropower project. The point of contention was whether the World Bank, which has a limited role in guiding any disputes or differences between India and Pakistan, would decide to appoint the 'court of arbitration' Pakistan had asked for, or a 'neutral expert', as India wanted. After his controversial first book about his unceremonious exit from the Union Finance Ministry, Mr. Garg has now taken aim at the MEA in his new book, No, Minister: Navigating Power, Politics and Bureaucracy with a Steely Resolve, where he says he was sidelined during the initial stages of the Indus Water Treaty negotiations in 2016. He also claims that he was told to 'keep off the matter', and only attend meetings to be led by India's Deputy Chief of Mission Taranjit Sandhu (later the Ambassador to the U.S. before he retired and joined politics). '[However], by the middle of November, the MEA team was getting nervous. It was not able to nudge the World Bank team in the direction it wanted, i.e., to appoint a neutral expert and began to sense that the Bank was tilting towards Pakistan,' Mr. Garg wrote, in the chapter titled 'Bringing Indus Waters Arbitration Back From the Brink'. At this point, the book claims that Mr. Jaishankar made a visit to Washington and asked Mr. Garg to take charge of matters. Mr. Garg accepted the request, but insisted that no MEA official join the discussions, and even turned back then MEA Joint Secretary Gopal Baglay (now India's High Commissioner to Australia) from the meeting with Mr. Kim, although he had travelled non-stop for 20 hours to reach Washington. According to Mr. Garg, it was his own intervention, in a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Kim, that eventually helped ensure a neutral expert, Ian Solomon, was appointed, after the World Bank accepted Pakistan's demand for a court of arbitration at The Hague. The MEA did not respond to a request for comments on Mr. Garg's claims. The Hindu also reached out to Mr. Sandhu and Mr. Baglay for a comment, and they did not respond to or deny the claims. In Washington, World Bank officials privy to the negotiations confirmed the tussle between the World Bank and the Indian government, but said they could not comment on whether it was Mr. Garg's meeting with the World Bank chief or other interventions that eventually changed the course of events. The World Bank first ruled that having a neutral expert and court together could lead to 'contradictory outcomes'. However, subsequently, it facilitated the setting up of both an expert as well as a Chairperson to the Court of Arbitration. India has refused to attend the proceedings in the Court of Arbitration at The Hague. Pakistan has maintained that it is working within the terms of the treaty, whereas India says the treaty does not allow such parallel dispute mechanisms. When asked by The Hindu, Mr. Garg said this should not have been an 'institutional turf battle', and that he did not want India's case to be 'compromised' even as the World Bank, the U.S. and the U.K. had gone ahead with appointing experts to take the Pakistan application for arbitration forward. Allowing Pakistan's diplomats to continue the process unchallenged would have an impact on other negotiations, he added. After the Pahalgam terror attacks in April this year, India has decided to 'suspend' the Indus Water Treaty, but some of the book's revelations are significant for future decisions on similar issues. The book recounts Pakistan's campaign against the Kishenganga and Ratle hydropower projects in Jammu-Kashmir; India's objections to the International Monetary Fund/World Bank funding of the Gulpur hydropower project in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir; and China's objections in 2010 to multilateral funding for a hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh, leading Mr. Garg to conclude that the government and the World Bank needed better communication between themselves. Mr. Garg also pointed out that Mr. Kim and Mr. Modi had a good relationship, and Mr. Kim's plan to fund schemes for 'stunted' or malnourished children had not gone down well with Mr. Modi. In Parliament this week, the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development said that about 37% of children under five years registered on their tracker were found to be stunted. 'I believe India's approach of not fine-tuning its stance in line with World Bank policies has harmed its own interests more than serving it,' Mr. Garg, who moved to India as Economic Affairs Secretary after his tenure at the World Bank ended, said. Differences with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led to his transfer as Secretary in the Union Ministry of Power in August 2019. He applied for voluntary retirement that same day, and retired after serving the mandatory notice period on October 31, 2019. (With inputs from Jacob Koshy and T.C.A. Sharad Raghavan in New Delhi.)
Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
UK FTA is a turning point in how India engages with West
The signing of the free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK last week was no ordinary moment — not just because 99% of Indian exports to the UK will now enter tariff-free, or because British luxury cars and Scotch whisky are about to get cheaper. The real story is India's evolving place in global trade — more assertive, more selective and no longer willing to play by someone else's rulebook. The immediate economic benefits are eye-catching. For British exporters, tariff cuts on whisky (down from 150% to 75% right away, and to 40% in a decade), high-end vehicles, cosmetics and dairy offer new access to India's swelling consumer base. For Indian exporters — particularly in textiles, jewellery, EVs, marine products and generics — the UK market is now wide open, with tariff advantages over rivals like China and Vietnam. The UK's access to Indian public procurement markets and its offer to exempt Indian professionals from social security payments sweeten the deal further. Also, Indian yoga teachers, chefs and tech workers will find short-term visas easier to secure— a meaningful breakthrough on the politically sensitive issue of mobility and immigration India's MSMEs are expected to be among the biggest winners. Industry analysts estimate a 30-40% rise in Indian exports to Britain in the next five years. That's not just numbers on paper — that's jobs on the ground, especially in states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. But perhaps the most significant thing about this deal is what isn't in it — agriculture. India drew a red line, clearly flagging at the outset that it's non-negotiable, which the UK respected. Our government is fully aware of our responsibility to protect the rights of our farmers. Opening up Indian farming to global agribusiness is politically radioactive. The UK agreement avoids that minefield. This signals something larger: India is happy to do trade, but only on terms that don't destabilise our broader economic progress. This new pragmatism — open on industry, cautious on food — could now become the blueprint for other negotiations, particularly with the ongoing one with the US. Hours after the India-UK deal was inked, eyes turned to the US. Trade talks with the US have been ongoing for some months. On Thursday, India's ministry of external affairs confirmed that both sides are working on the 'first tranche' of a multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Behind the scenes, pressure is mounting. After reimposing 10% reciprocal tariffs on global exports in April 2025, the US specifically slapped a 26% tariff on Indian goods, though a pause was granted till August 1. That ticking clock now adds urgency to the ongoing BTA talks. Here's the sticking point: The US wants access to India's agriculture and digital markets. India, meanwhile, wants tariff rollbacks, supply chain integration and protection for its strategic sectors. The Union government is clear: India will negotiate hard and the US should not mistake flexibility for submission. The UK deal becomes a silent message to the US: We're open to trade but we won't be bullied. The UK FTA also shifts the geopolitical axis slightly. Post-Brexit, Britain badly needed a big trade deal. India, flush with economic confidence and global attention, was in no rush. That power asymmetry is visible in the final text of the agreement— cautious, layered, incremental. This is not a one-shot silver bullet. It's a living document, built to expand, revise tariffs and add new sectors over time if required. For India, the pact also sends signals elsewhere, to the EU, Japan and Asean. In July alone, the US concluded trade deals with Vietnam, Japan and Indonesia — all part of its Indo-Pacific economic strategy. India, however, is forging its own path. It's building a trade perimeter that keeps sovereignty intact while enabling access and investment. There is, of course, no escaping the historical undertones. Two centuries ago, Britain came to India in the name of trade and stayed to conquer and rule. Today, Britain is back, but on an even keel. That reversal is more than symbolic. Indian policymakers, once wary of the term free trade because of its colonial baggage, are now redefining it. The FTA is not about deference, it's about mutual interest. India is opening doors, but it's also setting terms. This is more than a trade agreement. It is a shift in posture. It is a turning point in how India engages with the West. Gone is the tentative, aid-seeking India of old. This is a country that brings its own terms to the table, and expects others to adapt. The British see this deal as a lifeline in a post-EU economy. India sees it as leverage, a card it can play while negotiating with bigger economies like the US and EU. Undoubtedly, this trade deal is historic. Not just for what it delivers, but for what it represents — the arrival of a more assertive, strategic, and self-confident India on the global trade stage. As for the Americans, they would be wise to study the UK deal not as a template to copy, but perhaps as a warning. Push too hard, especially on food and data, and India will simply say no. Syed Zafar Islam is a national spokesperson of the BJP and former member of Parliament. The views expressed are personal
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
KRT IPO: Sattva-Blackstone backed REIT gets Sebi nod for Rs 4,800 crore raise; public issue likely to hit markets early August
Knowledge Realty Trust (KRT), a REIT sponsored by Sattva Group and Blackstone, has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to go ahead with its Rs 4,800-crore initial public offering . The public issue is expected to hit the market in the first week of August, according to PTI citing sources. Ahead of the IPO, KRT has already mobilised Rs 1,400 crore from institutional investors. The company had filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) in March this year, as part of its plan to monetise 30 premium office assets spread across key Indian cities, ANI reported. The REIT owns over 46 million sq ft of rent-yielding office properties across 29 locations in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Notable assets include One BKC and One World Center in Mumbai, Knowledge City and Knowledge Park in Hyderabad, and Cessna Business Park and Sattva Softzone in Bengaluru. Sources said the roadshow will begin this week, and the price band announcement is expected by August 30. Post listing, KRT is poised to become India's largest REIT by gross asset value, pegged at around Rs 62,000 crore. Its net operating income stood at Rs 3,432 crore in FY24. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Do You Speak English? You May Be Able To Work a USA Job From Home in Bangladesh US Jobs | Search ads Undo Following the IPO, sponsors Sattva Group and Blackstone will retain around 80% ownership in the trust. While Sattva declined to comment, sources said the trust will continue to adopt a brand-neutral approach, focusing on inorganic growth through third-party acquisitions. There are currently four REITs listed in India — Brookfield India Real Estate Trust, Embassy Office Parks REIT, Mindspace Business Parks REIT, and Nexus Select Trust. Except for Nexus, which is focused on retail spaces, the others are anchored in office real estate. Together, these four REITs manage over 126 million sq ft of Grade A office and retail space and have distributed over Rs 21,000 crore to unitholders since inception. Sattva Developers, headquartered in Bengaluru, has completed over 74 million sq ft of projects across seven cities, spanning commercial, residential, co-living, co-working, hospitality, and data centres. Another 75 million sq ft is currently in various stages of development. Global investment firm Blackstone continues to hold a substantial portfolio in India's commercial real estate sector. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
