Negotiations with Washington are currently on a tightrope, with both sides scrambling to meet a 1 August deadline

Under the UK deal, auto imports will be capped under a quota system to shield local manufacturers, and tariff reductions will be gradual. India has committed to reducing auto tariffs from over 100% to 10% over 15 years, within an annual import quota starting at 10,000 units and rising to 19,000 in year five.

The UK and India plan to sign their long-awaited free trade agreement on Thursday, in a move which the British government said would add £4.8 billion ($6.5 billion) to the size of its economy.