New Delhi, July 9 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Britain later this month for the formalisation of the India-UK trade deal and to give a boost to strategic and economic ties, people familiar with the matter said. On May 6, India and the UK finalised a free trade agreement (FTA) to boost Indian exports of textiles, leather and engineering goods and cut levies on British whisky, automobiles and medical devices. Since then, the two sides have been engaged in the legal scrubbing of the deal so that it can be formally signed. The two sides are currently working out arrangements for Modi's visit, for which dates are yet to be firmed up, the people said on condition of anonymity. Both countries are exploring dates towards the end of July, the people said. A formal ceremony for signing the FTA is expected soon, an official said, requesting anonymity. Once it is signed, the deal is expected to enter into force in about a year, he said. Modi is also set to travel to the Maldives to participate in the country's Independence Day celebrations on July 26, and there is a possibility the two visits may be combined though a final call is yet to be made, the people said. Earlier, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was expected to visit India for the formalisation of the deal. The legal vetting of the deal was expected to take three months and Starmer was set to visit by August. It is understood the decision for Modi to travel to the UK was made when the two leaders met on the margins of the G7 Summit in Canada last month. This will be Modi's first visit to Britain since Starmer became prime minister last year. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visited the UK from June 30 to July 1 for the bilateral strategic dialogue and met British NSA Jonathan Powell, foreign secretary Lammy, security minister Dan Jarvis and other British officials. The FTA is expected to double bilateral trade by 2030 from the current level of $60 billion, an official said. One of its most attractive features is an exemption for employers of Indian workers from paying social security contributions in the UK for three years under the Double Contribution Convention (DCC), he said. Under the deal, India gets tariff elimination on 99% of its tariff lines, covering nearly 100% of trade value. The UK will get reduced tariffs on 90% of British tariff lines, the official said. Labour-intensive sectors such as Indian textiles and apparel will get a competitive advantage against countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam. India will get similar advantages in leather, footwear, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and processed foods. Other sectors to benefit include marine products, sports goods, toys, engineering goods, auto parts and engines, and organic chemicals. "This will substantially improve the competitiveness of Indian goods in the UK vis-a-vis other countries," the official said. It will also boost India's IT and ITeS services, financial services, professional services, other business services and educational services by providing new opportunities and jobs. "India has secured significant commitments on digitally delivered services for Indian suppliers, especially in professional services such as architecture, engineering, computer-related services and telecommunication services," he said. In turn, the UK will gain access to the world's fastest growing major economy with a massive consumption-base. The FTA will also open India's annual government procurement sector worth more than $52 billion on a reciprocal basis while protecting Indian small and medium enterprises, he said. The FTA is expected to strengthen trade links and increase bilateral trade, already worth £43 billion, by another £25.5 billion. The deal between the world's fifth and sixth largest economies was finalised three years after Modi and his former British counterpart Boris Johnson set a target of concluding the FTA by October 2022. Since then, negotiations were affected by differences on a range of issues, including tariffs on alcohol and automobiles and mobility of Indian professionals, and political turmoil in the UK. The FTA is Britain's most significant trade deal since its exit from the European Union (EU) in 2020 and was concluded amid economic turmoil triggered by US President Donald Trump's tariff regimes, a factor that has added urgency to India's ongoing negotiations for a trade deal with the EU....