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Piyush Goyal champions UK–India collaboration at IGF London 2025
The opening day highlighted India's growing business footprint, the UK–India FTA's promise, and cultural synergy.
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Bhavana P - Thu, 19, Jun 2025
- 16:06 EDT
- 16
Grant Thornton's India Meets Britain Tracker Launch at IGF London 2025 / IGF
Piyush Goyal opened the India Global Forum (IGF) London 2025, on June 18 by unveiling the ‘India Meets Britain Tracker 2025’ report which provides the most comprehensive snapshot of Indian investment in the UK.
The tracker found a record 23 percent year-on-year surge in Indian-owned businesses in the UKwith the number of Indian-owned businesses in the UK now totalling 1,197.
The launch—held in collaboration with Grant Thornton and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)—marked a high point of the Forum’s opening day and underscored the growing momentum in bilateral trade relations.
Also read: IGF London 2025 to usher new era of UK–India trade
Speaking at the forum, Goyal hailed the data as a sign of “real-time growth” driven by increasing investment confidence, amplified by the newly concluded UK–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
“The FTA's conclusion promises to supercharge this momentum, and this report offers a clear view of where that growth is taking shape. Our collaboration with India Global Forum has further strengthened the Tracker's reach and relevance at a pivotal moment in UK–India relations,” said Anuj Chande, partner at Grant Thornton.
FTA defended as mutually beneficial
In a joint address with UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, Goyal pushed back against criticism of national insurance exemptions granted to short-term Indian workers under the FTA.
Dismissing the notion of a “giveaway,” he asserted, "The agreement provides stability and predictability to business, and benefits workers from both sides. In fact, similar arrangements exist in many countries, and this is a win-win for mobility and trade.”
Reynolds reinforced the agreement’s equity, stating, "No British worker is undercut by this UK–India FTA agreement. Business mobility has improved due to this; in turn, it has improved access to services and procurement."
Piyush Goyal and Jonathan Reynolds / IGF"We have built a relationship that allows us to deliver an ambitious agreement like this one. India is one of the most exciting countries in the world, and actually one of the most important; with the problems we face globally, I can't see any way to fix those without India playing a leading role,” Reynolds added.
The event marked their first public appearance since the FTA’s finalization, signaling bilateral resolve and strategic alignment.
Archer Amish Award
The event also saw the presentation of the inaugural IGF Archer Amish Award for Storytellers to Indian author Shalini Mullick for her novel ‘The Way Home.’ The $25,000 prize underscores the cultural depth underpinning the economic ties.
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(L-R)Jeffrey Archer, Amish Tripathi, Lisa Nandy, Shalini Mullick and Manoj Ladwa / IGFCommenting on the significance of the event, Manoj Ladwa, IGF founder, said, “We are connecting the dots across sectors, across geographic areas, and across generations. Each initiative is outcome-driven, measurable and future-focused. Powered by three key forces—Technology, Talent and Capital—we are linking Global Britain and Global India in tangible and transformative ways."
Day 1 of IGF London 2025 featured over 100 speakers and 1,000 participants, uniting leaders across trade, technology, and the arts to propel UK–India collaboration forward.
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