21 Apr 2026
India is aggressively expanding its global trade footprint through a series of new free trade agreements signed or negotiated in 2024 and 2025, including landmark deals with the EFTA bloc, UK, Oman, New Zealand, and the EU after nearly two decades of talks. These pacts slash tariffs on most goods, boost services like IT and finance, attract foreign investment, and ease professional mobility, targeting doubled bilateral trade in key partnerships. Ongoing negotiations with the GCC, US, Canada, South Korea, Israel, ASEAN, and Mexico aim to diversify markets, secure energy supplies, and strengthen supply chains amid global tensions. This surge matters because it positions India as a major export hub, potentially unlocking billions in growth for textiles, pharma, and tech sectors. At stake is whether implementation delivers real export surges or falters on regulatory hurdles and domestic protections.
