This was outlined by Stephen Hickling, the British Deputy High Commissioner to Gujarat and Rajasthan; Sangeeta Godbole, former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) official and trade negotiator; and Vladislav Morozov, Vice Consul, Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Mumbai.

They were speaking at a session on the framework of trade pacts and the emerging scenario in international trade at the FTA Conclave Gujarat organised in Gandhinagar by The Secretariat. Here are some highlights of the session.

Stephen Hickling

Speaking about the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which came into force this year, Stephen Hickling said, “The India-UK FTA is not an end in itself; it’s the beginning of a new phase of economic partnership. We are creating new supply chains and new opportunities in emerging sectors.”

He acknowledged the role played by Gujarat in Indian trade. “UK and Gujarat consider small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as the backbone of their economy,” Hickling said. The UK government, through its office in Ahmedabad, is creating links with the trade bodies of Gujarat, he said.

Hickling emphasised that the UK offers opportunities like world-class universities, a strong innovation ecosystem, and access to global markets, serving as a gateway to the EU, US, and Pacific countries. The movement of skilled manpower, especially on temporary assignments, is also facilitated.

The FTA is creating a confident partnership framework for long-term trust, he said, pointing out that the new areas of thrust would be artificial intelligence (AI), advanced manufacturing technology, fintech, cybersecurity, clean-tech, and environment tech, among others.

Sangeeta Godbole

Former IRS official Sangeeta Godbole had a word of caution. “Awareness on FTAs needs to increase. While the government is buying time negotiating with the partners, businesses should properly exploit this time by building their capacities to adhere to the global standards and requirements.”

She said complications could arise from EU policies like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). “So, the Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) of various sectors and governments have to simplify provisions, and businesses have their focus on core business. Complying with the standards, sustainability and carbon footprint would be critical (for them),” Godbole said.

She said exports to India’s FTA partners had shot up by 70-80% in the current fiscal and the country has made considerable strides on the renewable energy front. “This summer, 40% of India’s electricity production was from Renewable Energy (RE), and 30% from solar only,” she said.

Tariffs on fisheries, marine products, textile, jewellery, and leather products are likely to be reduced drastically in the FTA with EU, which is likely to be announced soon.

Vladislav Morozov 

“Talks on free trade between the Indian and Russian governments have witnessed two rounds of negotiations and the next round is scheduled for November. Both sides are working on mutually acceptable market access, transport connectivity, and the settlement in national currencies,” Vladislav Morozov said.

According to him, the Russian Federation is focussing on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the North Sea Route (NSR) as future corridors for the shipment of goods.

Russia is part of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) which has countries like Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, with a combined population of about 180 million. India’s bilateral trade with Russia in goods was nearly US$ 60 billion in 2025-26 and is projected to grow to US$ 100 billion by 2030.

“Projects like the Gujarat International Finance Tech City (GIFT City) and the Dholera cluster offer significant opportunities for cooperation, while ports like Mundra and Kandla play a critical role in connecting the countries. It would be too early to talk on the non-tariff issues; teams are working on them. A lot needs to be done here. Connectivity is a major issue,” he said.