India, July 16 -- The India-UK Trade Agreement came into force on July 15, and the real test of whether it lives up to its billing as a 'gold standard' pact now begins

Trade deals are easy to sign and hard to deliver. India and Britain took three years and more than fourteen negotiating rounds to reach an agreement in 2025; they now have to prove that the paperwork translates into shipments, jobs and investment. From Wednesday, roughly 99 per cent of India's tariff lines will enter the UK duty-free, while India begins dismantling tariffs on about 90 per cent of British goods. A parallel Double Contribution Convention will spare workers on short assignments from paying social security contributions twice - a small but real win for India's...