A senior UK Government trade mission reported on 12 October 2026 was set to travel to Delhi and Mumbai with Scottish food and drink businesses, including Salmon Scotland, the Scotch Whisky Association and Walker's Shortbread. Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander was to be joined by two Cabinet colleagues and Scottish entrepreneur Mike Soutar, alongside seven mayors from the North of England and businesses from across the UK.

The government said the UK-India Free Trade Agreement took effect on 15 July 2026, describing a £190 million boost to the Scottish economy and a cut in whisky tariffs from 150% to 40% over ten years. It said India is the world's largest whisky market by volume, with the Scotch Whisky Association reporting more than 220 million bottles exported annually, and that the industry supports 41,000 jobs in Scotland and a further 25,000 across the UK.

During the three-day visit, Alexander was to meet Indian ministers, business leaders and regulators, and was also scheduled to meet representatives of life sciences firm Microbira, Piramal Pharma and Rolls-Royce.