Always favour talented people: UK's Boris Johnson indicates visa flexibility for Indians

British PM Boris Johnson stated that their economy is short hundreds of thousands of people, and they need to take a progressive approach, and they will.   

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is on a visit to India, signalled that he was willing to offer more visas to the Indians in exchange for this year clinching a free-trade agreement that may enhance annual bilateral trade by billions of pounds.  

Johnson indicated on the plane that he was willing to be more accommodating on an issue that could have stalled the talks.

While talking with reporters, Johnson stated that he always favour talented people coming to the UK. Adding that their economy is short hundreds of thousands of people, and they need to take a progressive approach, and they will. 

As ministers, Britain has made a trade deal with India one of its post-Brexit priorities as it moves away from the European Union's common trade and toward the faster-growing economies of the Indo-Pacific region.

India wishes more opportunities for Indians to live and work in the United Kingdom. Any trade agreement will possibly be contingent on relaxing rules and lowering fees for Indian students and professionals visiting the country. India and former colonial power Britain have already solid trade ties, and additionally, more than a million Indians live in Britain after migrating.

Britain wishes to capitalise on India's middle classes' wealth and their appetite for premium British products, including Scotch whisky. They hope that India will become a customer of their green technology, and its service trade will be strengthened. Britain has stated that the trade agreement could nearly double British exports to India and increase total business by 28 billion pounds ($38 billion) per year by 2035. Following the British statistics, total trade in 2019 was worth 23 billion pounds.