On Thursday, The Congress criticized the Narendra Modi government just before the signing of the India-UK free trade agreement, asserting that what India truly requires from the UK is the declaration of a more effective FTA – the Fugitive Transfer Agreement.

Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in charge of communications, remarked, “The three prominent figures of the Modi Model of bhagodanomics are still awaiting their ghar wapsi – Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Lalit Modi. There may be others as well.”

“The India-UK FTA (Free Trade Agreement) is set to be signed today in London with Prime Minister Modi in attendance. What India needs from the UK is the announcement of a more effective FTA (Fugitive Transfer Agreement),” Ramesh stated on X.

The India-UK FTA, touted as the UK’s most economically significant bilateral trade agreement since its exit from the European Union, will be signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart, Keir Starmer.

The two leaders will also introduce a “UK-India Vision 2035” aimed at elevating their partnership amidst rapid global changes.

As the India-UK FTA is to be signed during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Britain, the Congress party claimed on Wednesday that serious concerns have arisen regarding its effects on India’s domestic industry.

In May, India and the UK finalized the FTA, which is anticipated to benefit 99 percent of Indian exports from tariffs and facilitate British firms in exporting whisky, cars, and other products to India, in addition to enhancing the overall trade portfolio.

This trade agreement, solidified after three years of negotiations, is expected to guarantee comprehensive market access for Indian goods across all sectors, with India set to benefit from tariff elimination on approximately 99 percent of tariff lines (product categories), covering nearly 100 percent of the trade values, as per officials.