India for free cross-border labour movement

While in today`s globalised world capital and technology move with unprecedented speed, labour is not allowed to move freely, Sharma said in the presence of British Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Vince Cable. UK, Germany and several other European countries are following tough visa regimes for professionals and students from developing countries. India has raised this issue on many occasions with these countries.

On the India-EU trade, Sharma said negotiations for the proposed comprehensive free trade agreement have reached an advanced stage. "India is in an advanced stage of concluding an ambitious Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) with EU," he said. India is in talks with the 27-nation bloc, its biggest trading partner, for liberalising commerce in goods, services and investment through the BTIA. The two sides are expected to conclude the talks during the year. The discussions for the agreement were to conclude in 2011, but differences between the two sides on the level of opening of the market came in the way of the pact.