Boris is India bound with ‘positive report card on bilateral ties’

By Amit Roy

HAD Boris Johnson gone to In­dia for the Republic Day cele­brations on January 26, when he was meant to be chief guest, he would have been caught up in the bitter farmers’ dispute.

In the event he had to post­pone the trip because of the surge in coronavirus cases in the UK.

He is now expected to go in the spring, possibly as soon as next month. It looks as though Boris will travel to India before his meeting with US president Joe Biden in Washington.

The prime minister might make a diversion to Pune, where the Serum Institute of India is making the Oxford-Zaneca vac­cine. This is a good example of UK-India collaboration. But a UK-India free trade agreement, desirable though that would be, seems to me to be some way off.

Anuj Chande, head of the South Asia Group at the ac­counting network, Grant Thorn­ton, tells me: “The fact that the proposed India trip will be the first overseas trip for the PM speaks volumes of the relative importance Britain places on the UK-India relationship.

“However, we need to exer­cise caution when it comes to agreeing a UK-India free trade agreement. There is a lot of ground to cover, but investment wise there is a strong platform both ways to build on.”

Meanwhile, Lord Jitesh Gadhia, says: “UK-India relations are in the ascending phase of a lunar cycle. UK government ministers are lining up to visit. Since De­cember we have had (Dominic) Raab, (Liz) Truss and (Alok) Sharma in quick succession. Priti (Patel) is also keen to visit and Rishi (Sunak) has had talks with (Nirmala) Sitharaman. Also, there’s lots happening on health and pharma collaboration.”

He agrees that “a trade deal is some way off, but a so-called ‘Enhanced Trade Partnership’ is under consideration by both sides to achieve some quick wins. Given the faltering trade with EU countries, we definitely need to expand our horizons. Boris likes India and gets on with (prime minister Narendra) Modi. India realises that it needs more friends and has stopped being standoffish towards UK.

“We have just sent a first-rate, highly sensible, new high com­missioner to Delhi, who is mak­ing a good initial impact. Appli­cations from Indian students to study in the UK are increasing again, helped by the new post-study visa. So, it’s a positive re­port card on UK-India relations with more to come this year.”