India's Commerce Secretary, Sunil Barthwal, is optimistic about resuming negotiations for the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom. He believes that there is positive bipartisan support in the UK for the FTA and that India should be a top priority for the current government.

Barthwal mentioned that the UK has been taking time to finalize its approach after the recent Budget session, which ended on October 30. The FTA talks were put on hold in March 2024 due to both countries waiting for the outcomes of their respective general elections, but they are now expected to restart. Barthwal indicated that India is giving the UK time to decide how they want to proceed with the negotiations, which suggests a positive outlook for future trade relations between the two nations.