Enter the UK market on the front foot.
Entering the UK market? We act as your UK-side representative and coordination partner. You keep the flexibility to appoint your own UK lawyers, accountants and specialists; we coordinate them, manage the timeline, attend meetings, and keep your UK expansion moving — so you get presence and control without hiring a full local team on day one.
You don’t need a country manager yet — you need coordination.
Most UK entries stall not for lack of ambition, but because incorporation, banking, tax registration, compliance and hiring each arrive at once — each with its own adviser, across two countries. We hold it together with one accountable UK-side partner, so leadership keeps visibility and momentum from day one.
Why the UK, and why now
For many Indian firms the UK is the most natural first step abroad — a shared language and legal heritage, the Living Bridge of some 1.8 million British Indians, a fast-deepening trade relationship, and a credible base for wider international growth. Two shifts make this an unusually receptive moment: a landmark trade agreement, and the UK’s post-Brexit drive for inward investment.
| Indicator | Figure | Why it matters for Indian firms |
|---|---|---|
| UK economy | ~US$3.6 trillion — 6th largest | Deep, high-value, English-speaking market |
| UK–India trade | ~US$56 billion, targeting US$100 billion by 2030 | Fast-widening India–UK Roadmap 2030 corridor |
| CETA tariff access | Duty-free on ~99% of Indian exports | Sharp landed-cost advantage from 15 July 2026 |
| Living Bridge | ~1.8 million British Indians | Ready networks, talent and customers |
| Legal & language | English-speaking, common-law jurisdiction | Familiar contracts, lower entry friction |
| Onward reach | A base within trading distance of Europe | Platform for wider international expansion |
The UK–India trade agreement (CETA)
The UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) — concluded in 2025 and entering into force on 15 July 2026 — is the most significant shift in the corridor in a generation. For Indian firms it points to:
- Duty-free access on around 99% of Indian exports to the UK.
- A mobility chapter easing movement for professionals and intra-company transfers.
- Simpler investment structures and greater certainty for Indian capital.
- A shared goal of roughly doubling bilateral trade toward US$100 billion by 2030.
The UK as a gateway
Beyond its own market, the UK is a proven launch pad — an English-speaking, common-law base within trading distance of Europe, with world-class finance, research and talent, plus post-Brexit incentives such as R&D tax relief and dedicated investment facilitation for quality foreign investors. Establishing well in the UK gives Indian firms a credible platform for wider international growth.
Figures are indicative and drawn from public sources; trade-agreement provisions and timelines continue to evolve. We help you read what they mean commercially — regulated legal, tax, immigration and accounting advice comes from qualified professionals you appoint or we coordinate.
What we coordinate for you
UK–India CETA readiness — Positioning your entry to use the agreement’s tariff and mobility provisions, working with your trade advisers.
Goals, decisions, control
One accountable partner — plan, coordinate, report
Solicitors · Accountants · Immigration advisers · Payroll · Banks
Entity & tax setup — Companies House, HMRC, employer reference, VAT and FCA where required, plus banking and merchant facilities — with Corporation Tax, transfer pricing, R&D credits and BEPS-compliant structures handled by your appointed advisers.
Talent & visas — Skilled Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Global Business Mobility and CETA mobility routes, coordinated with regulated immigration advisers.
Government & NHS procurement — Support for UK supplier registration — DPS, G-Cloud and Crown Commercial Services frameworks — and NHS supplier registration where relevant.
Channel & partnerships — UK senior-hire support, channel-partner identification and first reference logos to build early commercial traction.
Cross-border coordination — A consistent UK-facing point of contact — stakeholder calls, meeting attendance, follow-ups and escalation between India leadership and UK providers.
Four ways to start — from light advisory to a full desk
Whether you are exploring the UK or already establishing, there is a package sized to where you are. Indicative fees for each are set out on the pricing page. Packages start at £1,000 / $1,250 a month. Not sure which fits? Start with the UK Entry Readiness Assessment — £1,500 / $1,875 fixed for a written go/no-go with costed next steps, customised to your specific business requirement.
1. Advisory Lite
Direction, UK insight and a small number of strategy calls for firms exploring the UK — a structured first view before you commit resources.
Best for: early exploration, feasibility and board-level discussion.
2. Market Entry Support
Setup coordination and provider liaison for firms actively establishing — incorporation, banking, tax registration and compliance, kept moving across advisers.
Best for: firms moving into implementation.
3. UK Representative
A consistent UK-facing point of contact: stakeholder calls, meeting attendance, follow-ups and escalation between your India leadership and UK providers.
Best for: firms needing dependable ongoing local representation.
4. Expansion Desk
The full coordination layer across legal, compliance, commercial and operational workstreams as your UK presence grows.
Best for: firms scaling a lasting UK presence who want a flexible alternative to a local hire.
Four kinds of Indian firm we help most
Fintech & digital assets — FCA-aware setup and a credible UK base for regulated and emerging financial-services models.
Pharma & life sciences — UK and NHS market access, regulatory coordination and European reach.
IT services & SaaS — A UK entity, reference logos and the mobility routes to place delivery talent.
Manufacturing & industrials — UK presence, supply-chain partners and access to government procurement.
What we are, and are not
Vrkan coordinates, facilitates and manages service providers. Legal advice, tax advice, regulated immigration advice and accounting sign-off are delivered by properly qualified professionals you appoint or we coordinate through our network. This protects your position and keeps the service simple to buy — with one accountable partner holding the UK side together.
Questions about UK entities, visas, timelines or likely costs? See our UK entry FAQs →
Take the research with you
Monthly corridor intelligence, free: subscribe to the Vrkan Briefing.
Your first 90 days
Engagements are sequenced, not open-ended. A typical start looks like this.
Weeks 1–2 · Clarity
A senior-led scoping conversation: your offer, target UK sectors and goals — ending in an honest go/no-go view.
Weeks 3–6 · Blueprint
A costed entry plan: entity route, Companies House and HMRC sequence, banking, visas and the advisers you will need.
Weeks 7–12 · Build begins
Registrations underway, banking and providers coordinated, first UK meetings held — with regular reporting back to India leadership.
Frequently asked questions
How do we enter the UK market from India?
Most Indian firms enter the UK market in a sequence: choose the right structure, register with Companies House and HMRC, open banking and payroll, then land the first customers. We act as your single UK-side coordination partner across all of it — with the regulated steps executed by qualified professionals we coordinate.
How do we apply for UK market entry support?
Book a discovery call through our contact page. On the first call we scope where you are, what the UK entry needs to achieve, and which package fits — you will have a clear written proposal within days, not weeks.
Who is UK Market Entry for?
Indian firms expanding into the UK and, from there, into Europe — who want a dependable UK-side representative rather than an immediate local hire.
What do you coordinate on the UK side?
UK entity setup, Companies House and HMRC, VAT, FCA where relevant, banking and payroll, plus access to UK government and NHS supplier registration.
Do we need to hire a UK country manager first?
No. Our representation and expansion-desk models give you presence and continuity without the cost of a permanent local team from day one.
Which visa and mobility routes apply?
Skilled Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Global Business Mobility and the FTA Mobility Chapter — always coordinated with regulated immigration advisers.
More questions? See the full FAQ.
Ready to enter the UK market?
Our first conversation is always with the Director or a named senior partner. Book a 30-minute discovery call: no obligation, no proposal pressure.