In a first, non-trade issue gender equality included in FTA talks

Led by Trade Minister Piyush Goyal, India's approach to FTA talks has seen a perceptible shift

A delegation from the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was in for a pleasant surprise when it came calling in April for preliminary talks for a trade deal. India’s trade minister, Piyush Goyal, during a meeting with this delegation, proposed the inclusion of a chapter on gender equality and women in the negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA).
 
The EFTA delegation promptly agreed. It got something that would have been an unlikely entry in the trade talks menu until recently.
 
Goyal’s openness to a non-trade issue such as gender in FTA talks is not a volte-face, but