New Delhi, May 9 -- New Delhi: The free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK might take more than three months to take effect, with the final text now headed for legal vetting, two senior government officials said on the condition of anonymity. The UK has also set aside for now a contentious carbon tax that India has strongly opposed.

"The agreement text will be publicly released only after this phase is completed," one of the officials said. "Both sides will review each chapter, and the FTA will not take immediate effect due to procedural formalities."

Legal vetting or 'scrubbing' is the final review of a trade agreement's text to ensure legal clarity, consistency, and accuracy across all chapters before official release and ...