New Delhi/London: The State Bank of India (SBI), through its UK operations, has launched a dedicated India-UK CETA Facilitation Desk to help businesses capitalise on new opportunities created by the bilateral Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
SBI UK said the desk, a joint initiative with SBI's London Branch, underscores India's leading financial institution’s commitment to deepen trade and investment ties between the two economies.
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The announcement this week is geared towards helping companies across both geographies tap into the low tariff benefits accruing from CETA, which entered into force last month.
“Through the India-UK CETA Facilitation Desk, SBI aims to leverage its strong presence and extensive network across India and the UK to help businesses explore these opportunities more effectively," said Venkateswaran Dakshinamurthy, Regional Head (UK Operations) at SBI.
“By providing banking solutions, market-entry support and connectivity to relevant industries, we hope to play a meaningful role in enabling greater trade between India and the UK," he said.
The desk will offer tailored banking and financial solutions for UK businesses entering India, including trade finance, working capital and term loans – provided by SBI's London Branch for professional clients and counterparties.
It will also provide “India Market-Entry Support” in the form of guidance on potential geographies, states and cities alongside introductions to Indian counterparts.
UK businesses can also benefit from distributors and partner opinion reports, in the form of insights on existing clients from SBI's India branch network.
Meanwhile, the banking and financial solutions offered to Indian businesses entering the UK will cover trade finance, export finance and bill discounting. The desk's "UK Market-Entry Support" will be in the form of guidance on potential sectors and geographies, and introductions to UK counterparts. Distributor and buyer connectivity with information on potential customers and importers will also be among the proposed offerings.
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"By bringing together State Bank of India’s deep-rooted presence in India and our understanding of the UK market, through the CETA Facilitation Desk, we aim to support businesses to access the two markets with greater confidence and contribute to the continued growth of India-UK economic ties,” said Sakuntala Sanyal, SBI UK CEO.
The India-UK CETA, signed in July last year, came into force on July 15, 2026. The free trade agreement is expected to double the current annual bilateral trade levels of 47.9 billion pounds by FY2030.
The pact is expected to unlock substantial new opportunities for businesses in both markets through substantially lower or zero tariffs across major product segments, improved market access for goods and services, enhanced mobility for business visitors and professionals, and potential for greater price competitiveness for Indian exports in the UK. The trade is also expected to offer increased foreign direct investment (FDI) and cross-border collaboration, and expanded trade and investment opportunities.
The Indian sectors set to reap major benefits have been assessed as Textiles & Garments, Pharmaceuticals, Engineering Goods & Auto-components, IT & Technology Services, Gems & Jewellery, Chemicals, Telecom & Electrical Equipment, Food & Marine Products, Financial & Professional Services, and Leather & Footwear.
For the UK, the sectors in focus are Financial Services, Education, Automobiles & Electric Vehicles (EVs), Insurance & Legal Services, Aerospace & Defense, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Green Energy, Retail & Luxury Goods, Advanced Manufacturing, and Alcoholic Beverages.
SBI UK’s new India-UK CETA Facilitation desk was formally inaugurated recently by Rana Ashutosh Kumar Singh, Managing Director - International Banking, Global Markets and Technology, State Bank of India.
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