{"id":57908,"date":"2025-09-10T11:09:48","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T05:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/?p=57908"},"modified":"2025-09-10T11:09:48","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T05:39:48","slug":"india-uk-free-trade-agreement-marks-a-historic-shift-manish-tiwari-multicultural-marketing-guru-calls-it-a-cultural-economic-bridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/2025\/09\/10\/india-uk-free-trade-agreement-marks-a-historic-shift-manish-tiwari-multicultural-marketing-guru-calls-it-a-cultural-economic-bridge\/","title":{"rendered":"India\u2013UK Free Trade Agreement Marks A Historic Shift, Manish Tiwari, Multicultural Marketing Guru, Calls It A Cultural-Economic Bridge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

New Delhi [India], September 10:<\/strong> The recently signed India\u2013UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has been hailed as a landmark deal, reshaping a centuries-old relationship into one of modern partnership. Signed on 24 July 2025 after years of negotiation, the agreement eliminates tariffs on the majority of goods, strengthens market access for services, and sets the stage for billions in new trade and investment. Indian companies will gain greater entry into the UK market, while British exports ranging from food and beverages to high-end engineering products will see tariffs slashed in India.
Officials say the deal aims to double bilateral trade to $120 billion by 2030 while protecting sensitive sectors such as India\u2019s dairy and supporting micro and small producers. Leaders on both sides described the FTA as transformative, not just for economic reasons, but also for the cultural and social linkages that underpin it.

Among those reflecting deeply on its significance is Manish Tiwari, multicultural marketing guru in the UK and founder of Here and Now 365, a leading agency specializing in campaigns for Britain\u2019s culturally diverse market. For Tiwari, this trade deal is not just a matter of economics but a continuation of a shared cultural journey spanning centuries. His perspective highlights why business partnerships succeed only when rooted in mutual understanding.

\u201cA relationship which started in the Elizabethan era with tales of exploitation and incredulity, eventually became a long-term partnership. Despite the unequal relationship, there was an underlying sense of British values and fair play, and India\u2019s long-standing spiritual and diverse traditions, which transformed the relationship to one of mutual friendship, respect, and partnership,\u201d he explained.

Manish\u2019s insights come from years of observing how culture and commerce intertwine. Over 15 years ago, he founded Here and Now 365 to help brands resonate with multicultural Britain. His firm quickly became a pioneer in ethnic and community marketing, helping companies understand that relevance lies in reflecting cultural realities. \u201cEthnic and multicultural marketing,\u201d he says, \u201cnot only enables brands to reach their target audience but also makes them stand out in ways that are relevant to our society today.\u201d

For Manish, the trade pact reflects more than tariff cuts\u2014it is a recognition of the people-to-people ties that sustain both countries. He pointed out that such ties have historically guided India\u2013UK relations. \u201cWhenever Indians were exploited, the British liberals stood up against the injustice, and as early as 1770, Horace Walpole, MP, wrote: \u2018The Groans of India have mounted to heaven.\u2019 From both sides, it was the people-to-people connection that brought the two countries together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manish notes how cultural interchanges became the foundation for today\u2019s economic alignment. Words like \u201cshampoo\u201d and \u201ccurry\u201d entered British life just as \u201cHinglish\u201d became part of Indian speech. Cricket, too, became an unlikely bridge\u2014exported by the British, but now dominated by India through the IPL, star players, and a fan culture that exceeds the Ashes rivalry. \u201cThe prerequisite of any success story is cultural interchange and understanding. Cultural understanding is a prerequisite to a sustainable, long-term economic partnership,\u201d Manish emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The diaspora is a key element in this. With over 1.8 million Indians living in the UK, their contribution is both economic and cultural. From billionaires like the Hindujas and Mittals to the \u201ccorner shop\u201d phenomenon associated with the Patel community, Indian enterprise has become part of Britain\u2019s identity. Manish argues this explains why London is often regarded as the \u201cunofficial capital of India overseas.\u201d He believes the FTA will further empower this diaspora, especially through mobility provisions and reduced business barriers.

But Manish is equally keen to highlight how the exchange has always gone both ways. \u201cWhat has the UK offered to India? The relationship that began from a colonial past today is carried forward by the British, who continue to provide a platform to India while celebrating its culture, arts, businesses and technology. From their love of Indian food to the infusion of chai and Ayurveda into British life, the British now consider India an equal partner.\u201d

The FTA, in his view, will accelerate this cycle. Britain\u2019s openness to Indian IT professionals, creative industries, and entrepreneurs will only grow. He cites examples like FabIndia, started by a Briton but rooted in Indian crafts, and Pukka, a British company inspired by Ayurveda, to show how bilateral creativity often sparks new industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the agreement also symbolises resilience. Tiwari acknowledges the relationship\u2019s \u201chigh points and\u00a0turmoils,\u201d but insists the endurance of cultural and social bonds is what made the FTA possible. \u201cLike any good relationship, it has withstood the test of time, making it impossible for one to stay without the other. If India is the heart with spirituality and art, Britain is the brain with enterprise and ideas. At the end, they are part of one great relationship\u2014which is why\u00a0Britaindia!\u201d

For businesses, this perspective matters. Trade deals can be technical, but as Manish Tiwari\u2019s multicultural expertise shows, success depends on relevance and resonance. As he often stresses in his marketing philosophy, brands must connect with communities by understanding their aspirations and identities. The same principle, he argues, now applies to countries. India and the UK, through centuries of cultural borrowing and adaptation, have developed a partnership that goes beyond economics.

The India\u2013UK FTA thus represents more than a document of tariffs and quotas. It is a reflection of lived experiences, mutual borrowings, and a recognition that culture drives commerce. For policymakers, the deal sets the framework. For entrepreneurs and communities, it opens new possibilities. And for voices like Manish Tiwari, it demonstrates that economic cooperation succeeds best when guided by empathy, respect, and cultural fluency.

As the agreement awaits full ratification in both parliaments, the challenge will be implementation. But Manish remains optimistic. \u201cThe story of India and the UK,\u201d he suggests, \u201cisn\u2019t about where we began but how we have chosen to move forward together.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Delhi [India], September 10: The recently signed India\u2013UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has been hailed as a landmark deal, reshaping a centuries-old relationship into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57909,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57908"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57911,"href":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57908\/revisions\/57911"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mint-money.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}