India’s processed food industry has a major opportunity in Britain, where it currently holds just 0.6 per cent of the market, according to the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), which said on Thursday that the new India-UK trade pact has cleared the way for far deeper exports.
The UK imports processed food worth USD 50.68 billion every year, yet India’s share stands at only USD 309.5 million. TPCI Chairman Mohit Singla said this gap represents significant room for expansion, describing the food and beverage sector as a major growth corridor under the new trade framework.
The opportunity follows the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which came into effect on July 15 with the aim of boosting trade and investment ties between the two nations. Under the pact, tariffs on a range of food products have been removed, giving Indian producers an immediate competitive footing in the British market.
Singla said UK tariffs of up to 70 per cent on processed foods have been eliminated. Duties of 4.2 to 8.5 per cent on shrimp have also been scrapped, along with duties on instant coffee. He said this provides immediate competitive parity for Indian producers, who can now compete on level terms with suppliers from other countries.
To turn the agreement into real business, TPCI has signed a memorandum of understanding with the UK-India Business Council (UKIBC). The strategic MoU creates a dedicated framework for institutional collaboration between the two bodies. The partnership will concentrate on connecting businesses, facilitating trade missions, sharing market intelligence, and creating growth opportunities for small and medium enterprises in both countries.
Singla said both organisations will be deeply engaged in bilateral trade development following the agreement’s entry into force. The goal, he said, is to ensure that the post-trade-deal momentum translates into tangible outcomes rather than remaining on paper.
Early steps have already been taken. On October 15, TPCI and UKIBC jointly held the India-UK Trade Promotion Event on Food and Beverages in London. The event brought together 48 Indian exporting companies and 150 UK-based importers, giving Indian firms a direct platform to meet prospective buyers and understand the preferences of British consumers and retailers.
For Indian exporters, particularly smaller firms that have long struggled with high duties and limited market access, the removal of tariffs could prove transformative. Products such as processed foods, shrimp and instant coffee now enter the UK on far better terms, and the market intelligence and trade missions planned under the new partnership are expected to help businesses navigate regulations, identify demand and build lasting buyer relationships.
With India’s current share so small, even modest gains in the UK market could translate into substantial export growth for the sector in the coming years.