India may be seeking a reduction in import duties on some basmati rice varieties from the UK as part of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
This is to ward off a growing challenge from its nearest competitor in basmati rice Pakistan and also create a wider demand for domestic products, trade and industry sources said.
The duty concession is being sought for basmati varieties that have been recognised by the UK in the last few years. Already, in some traditional basmati varieties, there are some duty relaxations.