The UK-India FTA is now in force: what tech businesses need to know and do
The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), formally the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), entered into force on 15 July 2026.
The agreement covers goods, services, investment and government procurement, and includes provisions on tariffs, market access and digital trade relevant to UK tech companies trading with, investing in, or operating in the Indian market.
DBT's impact assessment of the agreement estimates it will increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion annually in the long term, and projects effects on UK GDP, wages and regional GVA. These are government modelling projections rather than guaranteed outcomes; members wanting the methodology and caveats should refer to the impact assessment directly.
Resources for tech businesses
DBT has published a Technology sector guide and a policy guide on trading goods and services digitally, alongside the wider suite of policy guides covering tariffs and customs, rules of origin, government procurement and business travel to India. These set out DBT's own assessment of the provisions relevant to tech exporters, including hardware, software and digitally-delivered services, and to companies considering market entry.
The India market page on business.gov.uk collates these resources, alongside GOV.UK, and is DBT's primary reference point for the agreement's terms.
Claiming preferential tariffs
Preferential tariffs under the agreement are claimed on the basis of an origin declaration completed by the UK producer or exporter, who must be registered with HMRC to do so. Guidance on registration, the origin declaration process and Rules of Origin requirements is available via the HMRC portal and the Rules of Origin guidance on GOV.UK.
Wider support available
Beyond the guides, members can access government support through the Business Growth Service, DBT's single gateway to export support. This includes the Export Digital Enquiry Service, the Export Support Service - International Markets (ESS-IM) with in-market advisers in South Asia, free training through the Business Academy, UK Export Finance, and the DBT India Network's in-market expertise.
Reporting implementation issues
DBT has stated that it relies on feedback from businesses and trade associations on how the agreement operates in practice. Members experiencing market access barriers or implementation issues in India can report them via the Report a Trade Barrier service and via DBT's Export Support Service.
techUK will also be gathering member experiences of using the agreement - including any issues with origin declarations, customs treatment or digital trade provisions - to feed into engagement with DBT and, where relevant, Indian counterparts.
Get in touch
If you have questions about the agreement, are planning activity in the Indian market, or want to feed in your experience of using the FTA, please contact Daniel Clarke at daniel.clarke@techuk.org.
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