DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2025, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES `7.00 (`8 RAIPUR, `15 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 PMMODI:NATURALPARTNERS, PMSTARMER:LANDMARKDEAL, writing a new chapter in history delivery of commitment by both sides GOYAL:MILESTONEINTRADE ties, setting an ambitious framework India-UK: Deal’s Done Modi: Pact beneficial for India’s youth, farmers, fishermen and MSME sector NEW DELHI, JULY 24 INDIAANDtheUnitedKingdom Thursday signed the muchawaited bilateral free trade agreement in the backdrop of a global trade environment that looks volatile with threats of reciprocal tariffs by the United States of America under President Donald Trump. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)promisedtousherin“not just an economic partnership but a plan for shared prosperity” for both countries, said Prime ECONOMY SCOTCH IMPORTS SET TO GET CHEAPER WITH TARIFFS HALVED TO 75% ‘DEFINING MOMENT’: INDIA INC HAILS AGREEMENT PAGE 13 EXPLAINED CULTURE THESTORY,HISTORY OFSCOTCH PAGE 9 INDIA’S GAIN ■ Oldtariff ■ Newtariff THE EDITORIAL PAGE CLOSING THEDEAL India-UK pact could serve as a template as Delhi presses ahead with agreements with others, including US and EU TEXTILES Up to 12% Minister Narendra Modi. Addressingthe mediaaftersigningthedealatUKPrimeMinister Keir Starmer’s country home ‘Chequers’, he called it a historic day as “after years of hard work, bothnationshavecompletedthe Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement”. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL NEW DELHI, JULY 24 TEA & COFFEE Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer shake hands after Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal (right) and Britain’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds (left) signed the agreement at Chequers Thursday. AP India gains big in food, footwear, textile; to cut tariffs in auto, liquor RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, JULY 24 aged to push for eliminating duties for almost 99.7% of tariff lines in India’s food sector. In most food items, the tariffs were as high as 70 per cent. New Delhi extracted enhanced market access in export-ori● ented sectors such as marine and animal products, including seafood, dairy, and meat products, with E INDIAHASsecuredmarket access for key jobcreating sectors such as textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery, and marine products — where theUKissettoeliminatedutiesof up to 20 per cent. Negotiators have also man- Anil Ambani’s office at Ballard Estate in Mumbai was among the premises searched on Thursday. Ganesh Shirsekar PAGE13 Zero PAGE 10 EXPLAINED SIDDHARTH UPASANI, RAVI DUTTA MISHRA & DIVYA A Bank loan ‘fraud’ probe: ED searches locations linked to Anil Ambani CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Up to 10% Zero Temporaryworkersexempt fromUKsocialsecurity payments UK’S GAIN DOUBLE CONTRIBUTIONS CONVENTION Relief on social security contributions boost for Indian firms, workers SIDDHARTH UPASANI NEW DELHI, JULY 24 INDIA’S TRADE deal with the UK will provide a boost to domestic services companies, with the two governments agreeing that employees workingtemporarily for a period of up to three years in the other country will only have to pay social security contributions in their home countries. This will raise take-home salaries and reduce costs for Indian companies, and is expected to benefit around 75,000 Indian workers. The reciprocal Double ContributionsConvention(DCC) is in addition to the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SCOTCH 150% 75%* *75% immediately and 40% after 10 years CARS 70-110% 10* *After 10 yrs up to a certain limit Britishfirmscannow bidfortenders THE ENFORCEMENTDirectorate (ED) on Thursday carried out searches at over 35 locations in Data breach at ICAR hits key recruitment, agri research projects Mumbai linked to industrialist Anil Ambani, as part of a money launderingprobeinto an alleged Rs 3,000 crore bank loan fraud involving companies of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The central agency said it CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY SHYAMLAL YADAV NEW DELHI, JULY 24 THE INDIAN Council of AgriculturalResearch(ICAR),the country’s apex research organisationinthesector,sufferedasecuritybreachearlierthisyearthat ledtothelossof “crucialdata”relatedto arangeof areas,fromrecruitment to research projects, The Indian Express has learnt. Documents reviewed by this newspaper show that ICAR constituted a six-member committee this month to submit CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SPORT FIDE WORLD CUP: IN ALL-INDIA TITLE CLASH, HUMPY TO TAKE ON DIVYA P 20