Latest News

Historic trade deal signed with India to deliver £300 million boost to the South East

25th July 2025
  • New figures show trade deal with India will deliver £300 million for South East economy as part of the Plan for Change
  • Over 1,500 businesses in the South East exported goods worth a total of £626 million to India last year, which could grow even more under the new deal
  • Comes as Prime Minister welcomes Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to UK for signing of most comprehensive trade deal India has ever agreed

Businesses and workers in the South East are set to benefit from the UK’s trade deal with India, as new analysis shows the landmark agreement will deliver a £300 million boost to the local economy as part of the Plan for Change.

Both Prime Ministers met yesterday morning for the signing of the landmark UK-India trade deal as new analysis reveals communities across every region of the UK will benefit from its £4.8 billion increase to UK GDP each year.

It comes as a series of investment and export wins have been confirmed by UK and Indian businesses, representing an overall boost of nearly £6 billion and creating over 2,200 jobs.

1,575 businesses in the South East exported goods worth a total of £626 million to India last year, which could grow even more under the new trade deal. The region is renowned for its research and development, having become at the forefront of innovation in sectors including advanced manufacturing and medical technology These firms will benefit from the deal opening up India’s vast and rapidly growing market.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

“The millions brought to the South East each year from the deal we’ve signed with India will be keenly felt across local communities, whether that’s higher wages for workers, more choice for shoppers, or increased overseas sales for businesses.

“This government is proving time and again that we can deliver on our mission to grow the economy, put more money in pockets and boost living standards under our Plan for Change.”

Workers in the South East will enjoy an uplift in pay as UK wages grow by £2.2 billion each year, and could also see cheaper prices and more choice on clothes, shoes, and food products. The UK already imports £11 billion in goods from India but liberalised tariffs on Indian goods will make it easier and cheaper to buy their best products.

For businesses in the South East this could mean potential savings when importing components and materials used in areas such as advanced manufacturing or luxury and consumer goods.

Further to this, India’s trade weighted average tariff will drop from 15% to 3% which means companies in the South East selling cosmetic and beauty products to India will find it easier to sell to the Indian market. It gives the UK an advantage over international competitors in reaching the Indian market, forecast to have over a quarter of a billion high income consumers by 2050.

Aligned with the UK’s recent Industrial and Trade Strategies, the deal will support the sectors which drive the most growth for the economy, including the med-tech workforce in the South East which is the largest of its kind in the UK. Clean energy companies in the South East will also benefit from the new access to India’s procurement markets, which includes unprecedented access to approximately 40,000 tenders’ worth £38bn as India continues to transition to a green economy.

Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, said: 

“The UK-India Free Trade Agreement is more than a policy document it’s a foundation for action.

“India’s deep scientific talent, clear ambition and growing global influence make it one of the most exciting places in the world to build long-term partnerships in science and healthcare. And this moment, with the FTA in place, gives companies like ours the confidence to invest, to scale and to co-create in ways that weren’t possible before.”