India Trade Policy

In 2024, India's bilateral services trade with Oman stood at $863 million, with exports of $665 million and imports of $198 million, resulting in a surplus of $447 million for India

This optimistic outlook builds on the fact that Swedish companies invested a total of $2.5 bn in India over the last six years, highlighting the expanding economic corridor between the two nations

DPIIT secretary Amardeep Singh Bhatia urged industry to seek "realistic" regulatory relaxations, balancing ease of doing business with public safety, as panels review laws to cut compliance burden

Emphasising the scale of global ocean-based commerce, the Navy chief noted that maritime trade has grown more than fivefold in recent decades, reaching 12.3 billion tonnes in 2023

The government argued that, since it was facing a flood of imports from China, it needed to ensure that these were of sufficient quality to meet Indian standards

India's export-driven businesses in sectors such as aluminium, iron and steel that face international regulatory shocks are increasingly exposed to risk due to climate inaction threatening their profits, operations, and long-term viability, according to global consulting firm BCG. India is among the top 10 countries most affected by extreme weather events, as the 'Climate Risk Index 2026' launched at COP30 reveals, and the cost of inaction for India is too big to ignore, BCG Managing Director and Senior Partner, Asia Pacific Leader, Climate & Sustainability, Sumit Gupta, told PTI in an emailed interview. Citing data from RBI and WEF 2024, he said 4.5 per cent of India's GDP by 2030 is at massive risk of erosion due to climate-induced extreme events, and by the end of the century, climate-related challenges could cost India between 6.4 per cent and over 10 per cent of its national income. "Businesses face the direct brunt of these risks," he said, adding that due to climate-induced

India and Afghanistan have agreed to set up a joint chamber of commerce and industry, revive trade mechanisms, and expand cooperation across sectors during Afghan Minister Azizi's visit

Economist Sajjid Chinoy has pitched for a relook into the government's curb on foreign direct investments from China, arguing that allowing Chinese investments in the country will be more advantageous than slapping tariffs on imports from the northern neighbour. Chinoy, the chief India economist at J P Morgan, who is also a part-time member in the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), said that the private capital expenditure is down due to the lack of demand visibility amid the flood of cheaper Chinese imports. Chinese exports into the US were a free flowing river, but the 32 per cent tariff slapped by the Donald Trump administration is acting like a wall, leading to the same goods being spilled out into other emerging markets like India, he said. Speaking at an event organised by the Asia Society on Monday, Chinoy said the flood of Chinese goods at cheaper prices is creating challenges for emerging markets looking to increase their exports. "I would argue Indi

India and Israel are considering implementing their proposed free trade agreement (FTA) in two phases to ensure early benefits for the trade community of both countries, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday. India and Israel on Thursday inked terms of reference (ToR) to formally launch negotiations for the agreement. The ToR include market access for goods by eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers, investment facilitation, simplification of customs procedures, increasing cooperation for innovation and technology transfer, and easing norms to promote trade in services. "We are considering doing this in two tranches. A decision will be taken when the talks begin. Both ministers are keen to finalise the first phase early so that the trade community benefits sooner," Goyal said here. The minister is in Israel to meet leaders and businesses to discuss ways to boost bilateral trade and investments. He is leading a 60-member business delegation. Goyal said that

September was the fourth quarter in a row where projects dropped on a rolling-basis

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday called for examining services sector trade data as it would help stakeholders make the best decisions. While launching the Trade Intelligence and Analytics (TIA) Portal here, he said the industry should increase utilisation of free trade agreements (FTAs). The portal will help exporters better utilise the Free Trade Agreements, the minister said. "At some point, services data needs to be also examined. Currently it's a black box. There is hardly any validated decent level of analysis of services data," he said here. He added that data such as Germany needing 90,000 workers and Europe and Japan requiring a large number of caregivers are not known to people in smaller cities. There are a vast number of opportunities in the service sector globally that will now be available to all, Goyal said. "Only the commerce ministry knows that," he said, adding, "We have to be more transparent" with trade data to help stakeholders make the

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said India is negotiating free trade agreements at present with countries, including the US, European Union, New Zealand, Oman, Peru and Chile. He also said that India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) would be happy to join hands with the state government to develop a world class convention centre - Andhra Mandapam - like Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The minister added that lowering trade barriers globally will help promote free flow of goods, services and capital. India has already implemented free trade agreements with countries such as UAE, Australia and four nation European bloc EFTA. "We are currently negotiating with the EU, US, Oman, New Zealand, Chile and Peru and many more wanting us to start negotiations," he said here at CII Partnership Summit 2025. To promote ease of doing business, he said the Centre has removed as many as 42,000 compliances and abolished 1,500 laws.

The Centre will provide ₹2,000 crore to back a ₹20,000-crore credit guarantee scheme aimed at easing liquidity for exporters, especially MSMEs, amid tariff pressures from the US

With high levels of saturation, India is now looking to convert the interim deal into a comprehensive trade agreement that will include new-age trade issues left out in the first round

At a high-level meeting with export councils, PM Modi called on exporters to fully leverage India's FTAs amid US tariff hikes, while industry sought policy and financial relief

India stands to reduce trade costs and significantly boost export competitiveness by embracing paperless trading systems, with such initiatives expected to cut trade costs of economies in the Asia-Pacific region by about 25 per cent, according to a joint report by policy think tanks ICRIER and RIS. Cross-border paperless trade, which builds on the broader idea of paperless trade and refers to conducting trade through electronic communication, is gaining momentum regionally with the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific (CPTA) being a key driver. Countries joining this agreement benefit from streamlined trade procedures, lower logistics costs, and improved regulatory cooperation. As of January 2025, 16 countries are a part of the CPTA. India has taken multiple domestic reforms, including the Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT) and electronic handling of indirect tax documents, yet it has not joined the CPTA so .

"Our negotiating team is already in the US, and (they are) trying to see if we can have a win-win solution between the two sides, which can address some of these tariff issues," he told reporters

Six years after leaving RCEP, India faces pressure to rejoin or consider CPTPP as US tariffs disrupt exports - but core trade, dairy, and policy hurdles persist

The negotiations resumed last month as both sides sought to ease tensions following President Donald Trump's decision to slap India with the highest tariffs in Asia

Zettlemeyer says India should embrace trade, private investment, and reforms for faster growth, while navigating US protectionism and climate finance challenges