India-UK CETA: A Historic Look Inside This Trade Pact

India's evolving relationship with the United Kingdom is best understood when look through the prism of historic ties and not only in the perspective of trade, reckoned trade experts and historians combing through the fine print of the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA).

While pointing out that India's service sector was the biggest beneficiary from the recently concluded comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA), Professor Abhijit Das, ex-World Trade Organisation (WTO) official, opined that India should have refrained from agreeing upon exchanging data with the UK as it would have given the South Asian nation an extra-edge.

“We would like India data to be used for creating national digital champions, which can only be done if Indian data is exclusively shared with Indian players,” he said.

Further, he noted that there is no compulsion to do, but would be part of an optimal scenario envisioned between both nations.

Meanwhile, Dr Charan Singh, Founder of EGROW, maintained a critical stance after the trade pact came intro fruition. He said nothing has changed since Britishers landed in 1600s as traders, today they are again coming in India as traders.

“The per capita income of Britain today is around $15,000, while per capita income of an Indian today is $2,880," he added.

However, PK Basu, Economist, supported the India–UK Free Trade Agreement, describing it as a beneficial arrangement for both countries. He argued that the pact would boost India’s exports and create new economic opportunities.

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One point nearly all speakers returned to was the fragmented state of India's colonial memory. India already commemorates significant episodes tied to colonial rule, among them Jallianwala Bagh, the famines, the freedom movement and Partition, but these are typically remembered as separate events rather than as connected chapters of one history.

The discussion also explored what role universities, museums, archives, civil society and the media could play in helping future generations engage with this history through research, evidence and open public dialogue, rather than through commemoration alone.