Leaders from British corporations, including British Airways and Carbon Clean, laud the UK–India CETA. They describe it as a catalyst for expanding trade, reducing tariffs, and sparking multi-million-pound investments across key sectors.
Representatives from leading British corporations have hailed the implementation of the UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), describing it as a landmark framework that is accelerating trade, lowering tariffs, and driving multi-million-pound investments across key sectors.
British Airways on Bilateral Trade Expansion
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the UK–India CETA Marketplace, First Business Activation event in Mumbai on Tuesday, David Wright, General Manager, India at British Airways, highlighted the transition of the trade agreement from policy into active corporate execution, describing it as an essential catalyst for bilateral trade expansion. “There’s a really exciting moment in time between the UK and India with CETA moving into the implementation phase and the baton really passing on to businesses to really take what is an agreement into implementation and increased trade between the two countries. It’s a really exciting moment. And British Airways are really proud to play our part in that,” Wright stated.
Highlighting British Airways’ recent operational growth, Wright detailed a substantial increase in direct flight capacity connecting India and the UK over the past year, driven by rising demand following the trade agreement’s momentum. He noted, “For me, the aviation sector is really a facilitator in that growing trade. And as we look as we see that trade increased, British Airways really looks forward to continuing to play our part in that story.”
Elaborating on the airline’s expansion trajectory, Wright revealed, “So, we’re really excited by the momentum that British Airways has in India. Over the last 12 months, we’ve increased our direct services into India by 25%. And it’s really a key part of what the free trade agreement has given in terms of that momentum and growth and we’ll continue to look at opportunities and have discussions as things develop.”
When asked about prospective operations at newly developed greenfield airports in India, such as Noida International Airport or Navi Mumbai International Airport, Wright praised the dynamism of the Indian market. “So again, the aviation sector in India is an incredibly exciting place to be. I don’t think there’s any more dynamic market than India at the moment, and we’ll continue to have discussions and explore the opportunities that that provides,” Wright said.
Carbon Clean Highlights Dual-Market Advantages
Guy Mansfield, Carbon Clean Chief Financial Officer, outlined the dual-market advantages offered by CETA through tariff reductions and trade promotion, given Carbon Clean’s footprint across both countries. “The CETA is absolutely fantastic. We’re really, really excited about it at Carbon Clean because, for Carbon Clean, we’re on both sides of the table. We’re both on the UK side and the India side. So, in India, we have our innovation center here in Mumbai. But in the UK, we have the manufacturing for the equipment that we use to do our carbon capture. So, this reduction in tariffs, this promotion of trade, is absolutely fantastic. We’re very enthusiastic,” Mansfield said.
Addressing the rising global demand for carbon management, Mansfield highlighted their focus on heavy industries in India. “So, we’re on the cusp of massive growth, with lots of opportunities in carbon capture, as people look to the future to net zero. There’s more and more demand for carbon capture. And in that context, we’re particularly targeting hard-to-abate industries in India, such as steel and fertiliser,” Mansfield explained.
Quantifying the economic impact, Mansfield projected that CETA’s market mechanisms could generate “tens of millions of US dollars” in bilateral trade while justifying further capital investment into their Indian research and development footprint. “And as we project growth, which would have an impact on exports and imports to the tune of 55 million pounds, if the projections go well. So, it’s potentially quite a large amount over the short term. So, a lot of the investment we have made already in the innovation center, that’s getting up into the tens of millions of US dollars already, we’re expecting returns on that investment in the near future, but as we expand, we’ll be looking to put more investment in, to make that centre grow with our business as well,” Mansfield added.
Bentley Motors Eyes Growth Opportunity
Additionally, Bentley Motors Board Member Axel Dewitz framed the agreement as a significant growth opportunity for luxury automotive manufacturing, supported by recent organisational restructuring in India. “For Bentley, this is a wonderful growth opportunity in the market and also from a UK perspective. We have restructured in the preceding months, with very appreciated investors, our setup in India. We now do have a great investor base in Delhi, an investor here in Mumbai, and an investor in Bangalore. And with those great investors, we’d like to make the brand grow further based on the FTA that has come in place from July this year…” Dewitz said.
Emphasising the company’s long-term commitment and product lineup, Dewitz stated, “Bentley is here to stay. It is not a short-term investment in that market. This is and shall be a growth story to everyone’s benefit… We have heavily invested into our product base. We are offering ICE-only cars, that is to say combustion engine cars, we have plug-in hybrids, and we have just revealed a stunning battery electric car that unfortunately is not completely benefiting from the FTA.”
India-UK to Exchange Tariff Data
Their remarks come as India and the United Kingdom agreed to exchange annual data on the utilisation of tariff concessions under their Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), as both countries seek to ensure smoother implementation of the trade pact and help more businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, benefit from it. The decision was taken at the 16th meeting of the India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), held in New Delhi on Monday, where Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Science Jonathan Reynolds reviewed progress since the agreement came into force on July 15, 2026. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)