Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that Indian students and professionals were being exploited to paper over British labour shortages

Britain must stop “punishing” Indian students and skilled professionals if it wants a post-Brexit trade deal with Delhi, a senior minister has warned.

Nirmala Sitharaman, who oversees international trade policy, said that Indian professionals and students were being exploited to paper over labour shortages in the United Kingdom caused by decades of inadequate training and investment.

“I really feel it is time for the UK to differentiate between [unskilled] migration and immigrant workers who come with high professional qualifications,” the minister for commerce and industry told The Times.

Ms Sitharaman has been closely involved in early negotiations around a trade deal once Britain leaves the EU. Since the referendum last June, she has held two rounds of talks with Liam Fox, the international trade