India-UK FTA may come into force soon: Official

NEW DELHI: The India-UK free trade agreement, concluded last year, may come into force soon, a UK govt official said Thursday.Refusing to commit to a deadline, the official said the agreement with India was going through a few "parliamentary procedures" in the UK and expressed hope that it may be implemented by the summer this year. "We're not putting a particular date or a particular deadline, but we do want to see it come into effect as soon as possible and we're confident that will be the case," the official said.India and the UK signed their bilateral FTA in July last year, under which around 99% of Indian exports will gain duty-free access, while India will lower tariffs on a wide range of goods, including automobiles and whisky. The official said that while some tariff cuts may kick in immediately, others may be phased out over time. The agreement has to be ratified by UK Parliament while approved by the Union cabinet in India before it can be implemented.