Johnson had set a Diwali 2022 deadline for the FTA during his prime ministerial visit to India in April last year. However, amid major political upheavals in the UK, that deadline fell by the wayside and most ministers have since been reluctant to set a fresh timeframe. "I do think a deal this year. I don't know when. But after a while if things don't conclude then people just move on, on both sides. I'm very keen to sign a deal this year," said Badenoch.