India-UK FTA Aims to Boost Female Workforce across Key Sectors

By: WE staff | Friday, 25 July 2025

• India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is going to be signed on Thursday
• It is likely to greatly advantage female entrepreneurs and employees in India
• FTA focuses on empowering women in industries including handlooms, heritage crafts, technology start-ups, and clean manufacturing

The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), to be concluded on Thursday, is set to be a game-changing milestone for women entrepreneurs and workers around India. With the removal of tariff barriers on 90 percent of tariff lines and the coverage of almost 100 percent of trade value, the deal is aimed at fortifying women's engagement in international trade.

Cutting across sectors—ranging from handlooms and heritage crafts to tech startups and clean manufacturing—the FTA holds the potential to enable women to get integrated into global value chains, gain access to finance, and grow their businesses.

One of the most important advantages is tariff-free access to the UK's $23 billion market for Indian labour-intensive industries like textiles, leather products, and footwear. This will be evened out for Indian women exporters, who have been at a competitive disadvantage for years with respect to nations like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Cambodia.

The pact is most important for India's textile industry, where women occupy the very center as weavers, dyers, embroiderers, and designers in cities like Kanchipuram, Bhagalpur, Jaipur, and Varanasi. These craftspeople now have more access to international markets, making them cornerstones of global fashion and design based on traditional expertise.

Goods such as Kolhapuri chappals, made by women-headed and family-operated artisanal collectives in Maharashtra and adjacent states, will also receive duty-free access to the UK market. This stimulus will increase global visibility, safeguard cultural heritage, raise revenue, and assist with the export of eco-friendly handmade leather products.

Women-owned MSMEs will gain fresh impetus as the agreement makes it easier to comply, fosters capacity development, and widens access to trade finance. Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal export clusters are expected to become more competitive in the UK market.

Whether classical looms in Varanasi, tech firms in Bengaluru, or handicraft workshops in Rajasthan, the FTA places Indian women at the forefront of an internationally inclusive economy. Much more than a trade treaty, the agreement brings gender equality to the forefront of national development—allowing women to innovate, lead, and redefine India's role in international commerce.