New Delhi was already opposed to the EU's incoming carbon tax, believing it would make its steel exports uncompetitive.Rajat Gupta/EPA

To clinch a deal with India, the EU should take a tip from the UK – POLITICO

by · POLITICO

Anchal Vohra is a Brussels-based international affairs commentator.

On a smog-filled day in New Delhi, I watched as a few German cars struggled to navigate a massive traffic jam. A British SUV was also in the mix, trailing not so far behind.

Last year, these foreign cars accounted for only 0.1 percent of India’s imports, with Germans in the lead and the British coming in a near second. However, British businesses have gained an edge ever since the U.K. and India inked a free trade agreement earlier this year, with India finally lowering its protectionist guard.