India Develops FTA Utilisation Plan to Boost Exports

The Indian government has signed free trade agreements with several developed countries, including Mauritius, Australia, the UAE, Oman, New Zealand, the EFTA, the EU, the UK, and the US, covering 38 countries with combined global imports of $12 trillion. The main Indian sectors that have received duty-free market access in these FTA partner countries include agriculture, textiles and apparel, gems and jewellery, leather and leather goods, engineering, electronics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has held meetings with industry associations, businesses, and export promotion councils to increase utilisation of these agreements, suggesting that businesses leverage these pacts to boost exports and domestic manufacturing.

The Commerce Ministry has involved Indian missions abroad in the exercise, with roles including ensuring FTA awareness, market intelligence, and expediting resolution of non-tariff barriers.

The country's goods and services exports rose 4.6% to an all-time high of $863.11 billion during 2025-26, with merchandise exports growing 0.93% to $441.78 billion and services exports surging to an all-time high of $421.32 billion.

The government will continue to work on the FTA utilisation plan, with the next steps including a review of progress and preparation of a roadmap for obtaining sanitary and phytosanitary approvals for Indian agricultural and fisheries products.