New Delhi [India], February 19 : United Kingdom Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy on Thursday said the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would serve as a "fantastic foundation" for expanding technology cooperation and unlock £25 billion in investments, adding that AI and talent mobility would be "key pillars of the growing partnership" between the two countries.
When asked about how the free trade agreement would strengthen tech cooperation, he said that the tech security initiative was signed during his earlier tenure as Foreign Secretary in 2025.
"I was very pleased to sign the tech security initiative when I was foreign secretary back in 2025 here in India, and we built on that arrangement. The free trade agreement is a fantastic foundation. 25 billion pounds worth of investment between our two countries over the next period is something that we can build on," Lammy told ANI on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 here.
"But clearly, in AI, which absolutely is the future, and also countries concerned about sovereignty, we have a mutual relationship of trust between our countries built over many, many years. We have powerful people-to-people links. It's what we build on to pioneer as we move forward," he added.
Stressing that artificial intelligence represents the future of innovation, the UK Deputy Prime Minister further stated that both countries, which share concerns around technological sovereignty, can leverage long-standing trust and strong people-to-people ties to deepen collaboration.
Speaking on the issue of facilitating greater movement of Indian professionals to the UK, Lammy highlighted new talent initiatives aimed at "attracting top-tier Indian expertise".
"I would encourage anyone watching to look at our new talent initiatives, where we are keen to attract the very best of Indian talent. That's both in the way that companies are able to sponsor Indian individuals at the very highest end in AI. We want them to come to the UK, and our Chancellor was happy to make that announcement at Davos a few weeks ago, and it's also ensuring that there's an easy visa process to come to the United Kingdom. So I want to send that message very powerfully," he said.
Addressing concerns raised by some professionals about increased bureaucracy and red tape following Brexit, Lammy reiterated the UK government's commitment to easing processes for highly skilled individuals.
"I would encourage all friends who want to come to the UK, who are at the top end of Indian talent, the Indian talent pool, to look at the announcement we made just in the last few weeks. We are keen to attract Indian talent and keen to continue to see cross-working between our countries. You know this week I've also spent time with young Indians in higher education, really pleased to see nine UK universities now in a hub with our Indian colleagues working and opening up new campuses across India. This is a very exciting time for our relationship," he added.
The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which called as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), is a landmark deal that aims to boost bilateral trade between the two nations by £25.5 billion annually.
Signed in July 2025 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UK, this agreement marks a significant milestone in the economic partnership between the world's fifth- and sixth-largest economies.
The deal includes substantial tariff reductions on goods such as textiles, whisky, and cars, making Indian exports more competitive in the UK market and vice versa.
Indian businesses will gain greater access to the UK market, with the UK offering 99.1 per cent of tariff lines with 100 per cent trade value, mostly at zero duty immediately upon the agreement's enforcement.