India's emergence as a preferred manufacturing destination

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he had a productive roundtable interaction with Asia House and senior executives from leading global firms on strengthening economic partnerships and exploring future opportunities.

“Highlighted India’s strong manufacturing ecosystem and the immense opportunities across sectors that can further deepen our partnership through the India-UK CETA,” the minister said in a post on X.

Goyal also had an interactive luncheon meeting with UKIBC members, engaging with C-suite representatives from leading global organisations on advancing the India-UK growth agenda.

“The discussions focused on unlocking new opportunities, accelerating investments, and deepening collaboration across sectors to foster shared growth while further strengthening India’s global competitiveness,” he added.

The Commerce Minister also addressed faculty, students, alumni and business leaders, and also engaged in a fireside chat at London Business School.

“Spoke about the role of education in strengthening India-UK relations, and how students, professionals and entrepreneurs play a vital role in fostering deeper collaboration, innovation and people-to-people ties. Also, highlighted how the India-UK CETA will unlock new opportunities for collaboration and enable stronger partnerships across diverse sectors for the shared growth of both economies,” said Goyal.

The minister was in London with one of India’s largest-ever business delegations to the UK, comprising over 160 pioneering companies, to translate a historic economic vision into meaningful action.

During his earlier address at the Business Plenary Session, Goyal highlighted the strong momentum in India-UK ties as we move towards a defining milestone with the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) set to come into force on July 15, 2026.

“It was heartening to interact with leaders from across sectors, united by a shared belief in the immense opportunities that lie ahead. With the India-UK CETA opening new frontiers for growth, I invite businesses across both nations to deepen engagement, accelerate innovation, and invest with greater ambition for shared prosperity,” said the minister.

Goyal also attended the welcome reception for the Indian Women’s Cricket Team and spoke about how they continue to inspire millions of young girls with dreams, aspiring athletes and the entire nation through their determination, resilience and excellence.

“My best wishes to the team as they prepare for the upcoming matches at the Women’s T20 World Cup. May they continue to make the nation proud and bring home the trophy,” Goyal noted.