British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday that the United Kingdom will not necessarily conclude a trade deal with India. Ahead of his trip to New Delhi for the G20 summit, Sunak said that it is "vitally important" that the UK deepens bilateral ties, especially economically. "That's why we've been working towards an ambitious and comprehensive free trade deal, but it's not a given. These things are a lot of work and a lot of time," he told reporters.
"I've always said we shouldn't sacrifice quality for speed. And we need to end up with something that works genuinely for both sides," Sunak said. He added that he "checks in" on the deal's progress every time he meets his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi but that trade will not be the main purpose of his current visit. "There are lots of other things we're going to be discussing," he said.