India-UK FTA offers 1,800 UK visas for chefs, yoga experts, musicians

India-UK FTA allows chefs, yoga experts, musicians and other professionals to work in Britain, with 1,800 visas offered annually for niche roles

Chefs, yoga experts, architects, musicians and other skilled professionals are now officially part of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed on Thursday, July 25. The long-negotiated deal includes provisions that allow Indian professionals to work in the UK across 35 service sectors for up to two years.

 

According to the Indian government, the agreement will open up opportunities for more than 1,800 Indian chefs, yoga instructors and classical musicians to work in Britain every year.

 

Visa access for services professionals

 

In a statement, the government said the services sector stands to benefit from broader market access across information technology, finance, law, education, and digital trade. The agreement also streamlines entry routes for Indian professionals, including those on short-term contracts or intra-company transfers.

 

 

“Indian professionals, including those deployed by companies to work in the UK across all services sectors, professionals deployed on contracts such as architects, engineers, chefs, yoga instructors, and musicians, will benefit from simplified visa procedures and liberalised entry categories, making it easier for talent to work in the UK,” the statement said.

 

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the FTA improves mobility for Indian workers in key sectors by easing entry rules for contractual service providers, business visitors and independent professionals.

 

“This FTA will serve as a catalyst for inclusive growth, benefiting farmers, artisans, workers, MSMEs, start-ups, and innovators, while safeguarding India’s core interests,” said Goyal.

 

Recognition of qualifications and regulatory carve-outs

 

Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), told Business Line India had agreed to recognise UK qualifications in select fields such as law and accounting. However, he added that legal services remain off-limits, and that mutual recognition frameworks are still missing in most regulated professions.

 

“The agreement ensures no caps on the number of UK service providers, and offers commercial presence rights (Mode 3) across multiple domains,” said Srivastava. “But India has retained key regulatory carve-outs, especially in legal services, taxation, and national security.”

 

UK offer limited on professional mobility

 

Compared to India’s commitments, the UK has been more reserved in its services offer. Srivastava pointed out that while Britain has offered commercial presence rights in fields like computer services, consultancy, and environmental services, its commitments on labour mobility are narrow.

 

“The UK has offered an annual quota of 1,800 visas for niche roles including yoga instructors and classical musicians, but it has not made binding commitments on broader visa categories, including business visitors or IT professionals,” he said.

 

He also noted that the UK has not agreed to reinstate post-study work visas for Indian students, and that the FTA does not alter Britain's points-based immigration system. Indian professionals will still have to meet the existing requirements for education, salary, and job offers to qualify.

 

India’s global talent moment  "The India-UK Free Trade Agreement opens up meaningful opportunities for Indian professionals and students. By lowering costs, easing entry barriers, and enabling access across 35 sectors in the UK, it lays the groundwork for smoother global mobility. This is more than just market access, it’s a transformative step towards positioning Indian talent at the forefront of the global workforce," Mayank Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of BorderPlus told Business Standard. 

Srikanth Iyengar, CEO of upGrad Enterprise also said the FTA signals a turning point in how Indian talent is seen abroad.

 

“This FTA marks a landmark shift in how Indian talent is perceived globally, from back-office support to front-line value creation. India has the strongest advantage – the people advantage. When channelled through structured mobility pathways like these, we are capable of reshaping global talent ecosystems,” Iyengar told Business Standard.

 

But he added that mobility alone would not suffice in today’s competitive environment.

 

“We must pair it with cultural fluency, compliance-ready skilling, and demand-aligned training. With the right interventions from industry and government, Indian professionals are ready to lead transformation across high-impact sectors. The world is more competitive than ever, and India’s moment is now,” he said.