In last one decade, India has emerged decisive and confident: redrawing and redefining the map of global trade and charting modern, future-ready, new generation of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

India has steadily expanded its network of free trade agreements over the past few years reaching Nine FTAs spanning 38 countries. Starting with India-Mauritius in 2021, the India–UAE Comprehensive Economic partnership agreement followed in May 2022. India-Australia Economic and Trade Agreement was implemented in December 2022. India then signed the EFTA TEPA on 10th March 2024, which entered into force on 1st October 2025. The India-UK CETA was signed in July 2025 and India-Oman CEPA in December 2025. The India-New Zealand FTA was announced on 22nd December 2025, followed by the India-EU FTA on 27th January 2026. With United States, we have delivered framework for an interim agreement on 7^th February 2026 and cemented our global trade footprint.

Every agreement has been unique and a recognition: of the scale of our market, our economic potential and the trust in the capabilities of 1.4 billion Indians.

These Agreements are for farmers whose products now have access to the developed world. They are for entrepreneurs, women-led MSMEs exporting garments, leather and handicrafts with new competitiveness. They are for talent - young Indians, our students, IT professionals, chefs, yoga instructors who now have choices and clear mobility pathways to work, to study and to build futures supported by post-study work visas, mobility and social security relief. They are for organic products and traditional wellness systems of AYUSH. They are for Digital Services, powering the worlds’ AI. They are for catalyzing investments and making our FTA partners, our stakeholders.

India has negotiated FTAs with openness, balance and our national priority of an atmanirbhar bharat. The interests of all sensitive sectors—dairy, agriculture, farmers, and domestic industry—have been protected, and market access has been safeguarded. This is India negotiating from strength to usher in an age of transformation in trade and fulfilling the aspirations of our people. India is leading the way to Viksit Bharat @2047.

Key highlights of the Agreements signed or announced in 2025-26 can be accessed at the following link:-

https://www.commerce.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FTAsachievement.pdf

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Abhishek Dayal/Shabbir Azad/Anushka Pandey

Free Trade Agreements expansion broadens market access and mobility, protecting sensitive sectors while promoting exports and investment. India has expanded its network of Free Trade Agreements, implementing bilateral and plurilateral instruments that broaden preferential market access for agriculture, exporters of garments, leather and handicrafts, AYUSH and organic products, and digital services, while introducing mobility and post-study work pathways and measures to catalyse investment; negotiations are described as balancing market access with protections for sensitive sectors and domestic industry to align trade expansion with national self-reliance and economic transformation.