"Piyush Goyal one of best negotiators...": Former Chief Negotiator for UK-India FTA Harjinder Kang
London, July 15
United Kingdom's Trade Commissioner for South Asia, Harjinder Kang, on Wednesday described Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal as "one of the best negotiators" after the free trade agreement between India and the UK.
Harjinder Kang, who served as the UK's Chief Negotiator for the UK-India FTA, praised Piyush Goyal for balancing multiple trade deals simultaneously and described him as a good friend.
The two nations signed the FTA last year in July 2025, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UK. The agreement will come into effect on July 15. Signed in London, the landmark pact unlocks zero-duty access for 90.2% of Indian exports to the UK and slashes India's import duties on key British products.
In an interview with ANI, Kang said, "I have become very close friends now with all of my counterparts. Where we were batting our heads for years, we are now shaking hands and having cups of tea on a regular basis. Minister Goyal... I have to take my hat off to him. He's one of the best negotiators I've ever seen. And credit to him for balancing as many FTAs as he's been doing in parallel at the same time as doing ours. And we've become good friends."
Recalling the Annual UK-India Awards 2026 in London, the UK's Trade Commissioner said, "He (Piyush Goyal) gave us an award at the Global Forum a few days ago in London and actually made me stand up in the audience and gave me a bit of a name check... He has been the continuity in the Indian system from day one."
Further, Harjinder Kang said that despite being of India origin, the deal was "hard." He described the "Indian system" as transactional.
He said, "Being of Indian origin, I had an idea of the Indian mentality. So I thought I knew how it would be, but it was hard. I think the Indian system is transactional and reciprocal. If I am going to give you something, expect something back and vice versa. And I think that's okay. Once you understand those rules of the game, it becomes easy to understand. In terms of personality, because culturally I am aware of India and had a lot to do with India, it makes a big difference."
The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), officially known 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.
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.
According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, this agreement with the United Kingdom is expected to significantly improve market access for Indian exports, with 90.2 per cent of India's exports to the UK becoming duty-free.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to hear praise for our minister, but let's not forget that 90.2% duty-free access should actually translate into real benefits for Indian farmers, textile workers, and MSMEs on ground. The 'transactional' nature Kang mentioned is fair - India should always get reciprocal value. Let's see the fine print.
Full marks to Goyal ji for negotiating multiple FTAs at once - US, EU, UK, Australia all at the same time! 🇮🇳 That's some serious juggling. The UK guy admitting 'Indian system is transactional and reciprocal' actually shows our strength - we don't give away things for free anymore. Proud moment.
As someone who watches trade negotiations closely, this is impressive. Piyush Goyal has transformed India's trade diplomacy. The fact that even the former UK chief negotiator calls him a friend speaks volumes. But I hope the whisky tariff reductions actually help Indian single malts too - we're making world-class whisky now! 🥃
Mixed feelings. Praise from a former negotiator is nice, but why did it take so many years? And will our farmers actually get fair prices when British dairy and apples flood our market? 'Transactional' system is fine, but we must ensure Indian interests are fully protected. Hope the fine print has strong safeguards.
Good to hear an international official acknowledging India's negotiating strength. 'One of the best negotiators' - that's high praise! The fact that Kang, being of Indian origin, found the deal 'hard' actually shows we drive a hard bargain. 90
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