India first liberalised its government procurement market, one of the largest in the world at nearly $600 billion annually or about 15% of its GDP, when it signed a free trade agreement with the UAE. It did not raise much alarm then, as some protections were built into it.The latest FTA with the UK, touted by the government as the gold standard for all such future agreements, is lax on such protections. UK companies can now compete for about 40,000 tenders each year in sectors such as construction, healthcare, energy, and transportation. These firms will also gain free access to India’s e-procurement portal, making participation easier and more informed.
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