The Indian government is preparing a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) utilisation strategy to help domestic industries fully leverage recently signed trade pacts with developed economies and accelerate the country’s export growth ambitions.
Since 2021, India has concluded FTAs with countries and blocs including Australia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, Mauritius, European Free Trade Association and the European Union, covering 38 countries with combined imports estimated at nearly $12 trillion.
The agreements have opened duty-free access for key Indian sectors such as textiles and apparel, agriculture, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, electronics, chemicals, leather products and pharmaceuticals.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has held multiple consultations with export promotion councils, businesses and industry associations to improve utilisation of these agreements and encourage companies to integrate into global supply chains.
Officials said the ministry is also preparing a roadmap for faster sanitary and phytosanitary approvals for Indian agricultural and fisheries exports in global markets. Indian missions abroad and line ministries have been tasked with spreading FTA awareness, identifying new market opportunities, resolving non-tariff barriers and ensuring domestic production aligns with international standards.
The initiative comes as India targets combined goods and services exports of $2 trillion in the coming years.
India’s total exports rose 4.6% to a record $863.11 billion in 2025-26 despite global economic uncertainties. Merchandise exports increased to $441.78 billion, while services exports surged 8.71% to an all-time high of $421.32 billion.
Shishir Priyadarshi said Indian businesses should move beyond viewing FTAs merely as tariff-reduction tools and instead use them to integrate into global value chains, diversify supply chains and build higher-value exports through advanced manufacturing and branded products.
