Proposed India-Britain Free Trade Agreement: Social Security impasse extends negotiations

Britain's reluctance to include a Social Security Agreement (SSA) in its proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India has become yet another sticking point in protracted negotiations, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Such a clause in bilateral agreements is signed between countries to protect the interests of skilled cross-border workers. This ensures that in both countries no social security contributions are paid for employees, usually in the form of insurance or pensions.

India is pushing for a social security pact in the proposed deal as Britain is the largest services export destination after the US. Of