Piyush Goyal

Commerce Minister Goyal holds talks with his Omani counterpart on trade

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday held talks with his Omanese counterpart Anwar bin Hilal bin Hamdoun Al Jabri on ways to promote bilateral trade and investment. In the last few days, Goyal has held discussions with the trade ministers of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. "Held a telecall with HE Anwar bin Hilal bin Hamdoun Al Jabri, Oman's Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. Discussed unlocking opportunities under the India-Oman CEPA to boost bilateral trade and investment ties for the mutual growth of both nations," Goyal said in a social media post. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed in Muscat in December 2025. It has not yet been implemented. The pact will provide duty free access to 98 per cent of India's exports including textiles, agri and leather goods in Oman. On the other hand, India will reduce tariffs on Omanese products such as dates, marbles and petrochemical items. India-Oman bilateral tr

Patent application filings in India rise 30.2% to 143,000 in 2025-26: Goyal

Filing of patent applications has increased by 30.2 per cent to 1,43,729 in 2025-26 against 1,10,375 in the previous fiscal, on account of several initiatives taken by the government to strengthen the intellectual property rights ecosystem, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday. India is the world's 6th largest patent filer. "Our patent filings soared to a historic 1.43 lakh+ in FY 2025-26, marking a 30.2 per cent increase over last year. With over 69 per cent of patents filed domestically, led by innovators from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, we are showing the world that Made in India is powered by Invented in India," Goyal said in a social media post. The filings have been continuously increasing since 2016-17, when they were 45,444. It was 47,894 in 2027-28, 50,660 in 2018-19, 56,268 in 2019-20, 58,503 in 2020-21, 66,440 in 2021-22, 82,208 in 2022-23, and 92,163 in 2023-24. The government has undertaken several measures to strengthen the patent ...

Goyal holds talks with Saudi trade minister on strengthening supply chains

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday held discussions with Saudi Arabia's Trade Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al Qassabi on ways to strengthen supply chains disrupted due to the West Asia crisis, after holding talks with his counterparts from the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. All these countries are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with which India is negotiating a free trade agreement. The commerce ministry, in a statement, said that Goyal had a virtual call with Qassabi. "The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and expressed optimism for early progress in the India-GCC FTA negotiations," it said. Both sides noted the strain conflict has put on regional supply chains and stressed the need for an early recovery through coordinated efforts to ensure smooth trade flows, it said. Goyal highlighted India's steps to support exports to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region. The joint attack launched by the US and Israel on Iran had

Piyush Goyal talks to Kuwaiti counterpart after US-Iran ceasefire

India and Kuwait traditionally enjoy friendly relations, which are rooted in history and have stood the test of time

Streamline regulations: Jan Vishwas Bill is a step in the right direction

Notably, the Bill is not a standalone reform. It is part of a broader and consistent policy intervention over the past decade and is aimed at improving the business environment

Piyush Goyal releases 'white paper' on TN's finances, flags GST gap

Senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal on Saturday released a document titled "Tamil Nadu Government Financial Crisis - comprehensive multi-perspective whitepaper," prepared by his party's Professional Cell in the state, and sought to know where the money received as GST compensation and the state's borrowings have gone. He sought to know how the state treasury could be empty despite receiving over Rs 80,000 crore in GST collections from the Centre and accused the DMK government of causing a financial crisis. With a debt-to-GSDP ratio of 26.4 per cent - just below the Finance Commission's 28.7 per cent ceiling - the state's fiscal health is deteriorating rapidly due to persistent revenue deficits, skyrocketing interest payments, and systemic payment defaults, the paper said. "The DMK's mismanagement has exacerbated structural imbalances, with off-budget borrowings and bleeding public sector undertakings (PSUs) masking the true extent of liabilities. GST has been a boon to TN finances with t

West Asia crisis: Govt explores ways to boost induction heater production

Govt discusses ramping up induction heater production as LPG supply concerns rise amid West Asia tensions, triggering surge in demand for electric cooking alternatives

Govt may review 50 mn minor offence cases after Jan Vishwas Bill: Goyal

Minister says prosecutors may seek closure of minor cases under new law, as Centre pushes decriminalisation to reduce litigation, ease compliance and improve business climate

Ecommerce tariffs: India open to a longer extension of the moratorium

This will give businesses greater predictability, says Goyal

India, UK FTA may come into force in next 30 to 45 days: Goyal

The India-UK free trade agreement (FTA), signed in July last year, is likely to come into force in the next 30-45 days, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. Goyal held a bilateral meeting with Peter Kyle, UK's Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on the sidelines of the 14th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) last month in Cameroon. "The United Kingdom is also very pleased at the speed with which the India-UK Free Trade Agreement passed both Houses of Parliament... and we are also looking at a possible entry into force of the agreement over the next 30 to 45 days," he told reporters here. India and the UK, on July 24, 2025, signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) under which 99 per cent of Indian exports will enter the British market at 'zero' duty, while tariffs on British products such as cars and whisky will be reduced in India. The following are the other developments on free trade agreements that Ind

Parliament passes Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill to amend 784 provisions

Parliament on Thursday passed a bill to amend 784 provisions in 79 central laws for decriminalising and rationalising minor offences to further improve the country's business environment. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, was passed in the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote after Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal replied to a discussion on the legislation. The minister said the legislation will help citizens and MSMEs. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. These laws are administered by 23 ministries, including coal, commerce and industry, shipping, urban development, and transport. Out of 784, 717 provisions are being amended for decriminalising minor offences and 67 to facilitate ease of living.

West Asia crisis: More measures on anvil to support exporters, says Goyal

The government has announced measures to help exporters tackle the impact of the West Asia crisis and some more decisions are on the anvil, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. An US-Israel attack launched on Iran in February has disrupted movement of ships in the international waters. It has also pushed air freight and insurance cost for traders. To help exporters, the government has announced certain decisions through a relief package and "some more decisions are on the anvil, are under consideration at different levels and different ministries," he told reporters here. As part of relief measures, the government is looking at providing some freight subsidies. Last month, the government rolled out a Rs 497 crore RELIEF (Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) scheme for exporters, who are facing disruptions due to the ongoing West Asia conflict. Goyal informed that during his bilateral meetings with trade ministers of other countries

India looking at preferential mkt access in US, ties 'very robust': Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said India is looking at preferential market access for its products in the US and asserted that the country's relations with America are "very robust" with a deep strategic partnership across technology, defence, trade and investment. He said that India's trade pact with the US is "best" as compared to its competitor countries. "Our relations are very robust. We have a deep strategic partnership on several aspects, on technology, on defence, on trade and on investments, and our approach is that India should get preferential market access," Goyal told reporters here. The country, he said, is sitting on a "very sweet spot" in promoting trade with the US. "Being the world's fastest growing economy, India holds huge promise for investors who will continue to look at the India opportunity in greater numbers and greater value in the future," he added. On March 27, the minister held a meeting with the US Trade Representative Jamies

Lok Sabha passes Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill to change 784 provisions

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to amend certain provisions in different laws for decriminalising and rationalising minor offences to further promote ease of doing business and living. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, was passed with a voice vote. The bill proposes to amend 784 provisions of 79 Central Acts administered by 23 ministries. It seeks to decriminalise 717 provisions and amend 67 provisions to facilitate ease of living. It also seeks to rationalise more than 1,000 offences, removing outdated and redundant provisions, thereby improving the overall regulatory environment. Replying to the debate on the bill, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said it will help people and MSMEs. Amendments moved by Congress member K Kavya were rejected by voice vote.

WTO's MC14 concludes without declaration as countries 'ran out of time'

Ministerial ends without consensus on key issues including e-commerce tariffs and TRIPS, with talks set to continue in Geneva amid deep divisions among members

Piyush Goyal, Jamieson Greer discuss next steps in India-US BTA talks

India and the US discussed next steps in bilateral trade deal negotiations on the sidelines of WTO MC14, amid evolving tariff policies and global trade uncertainties

Piyush Goyal meets Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao; discusses trade

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao and discussed trade-related issues. The bilateral meeting was held on the sidelines of the 14th ministerial conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon. "Met Mr. Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce of China, on the sidelines of the #WTOMC14. Exchanged views on the MC-14 agenda and discussed bilateral trade matters," Goyal said on a social media post. The meeting is important as India's trade deficit with China crossed USD 100 billion during the 11-month period of this fiscal year. During April-February 2025-26, the country's exports to China increased 37.66 per cent to USD 17.54 billion, while imports rose 15.21 per cent to USD 119.55 billion. Trade deficit has widened to USD 102.01 billion from USD 91.03 billion in April-February 2024-25.

Goyal meets Eli Lilly Prez; discusses steps to strengthen 'Make in India'

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a meeting with Patrik Jonsson, Executive Vice President and President of Lilly International, discussing India's growth trajectory and the company's expanding presence in the country.Sharing details of the meeting on X, Goyal said on Friday that the discussions focused on Eli Lilly and Company's increasing operations and investments in India, and ways to further strengthen the 'Make in India for the world' initiative."Held a meeting with Patrik Jonsson, Executive VP and President, Lilly International, USA. We discussed the India growth story, Eli Lilly & Company's expanding operations and investments in India, and the steps to further strengthen Make in India for the world," the post read.Earlier in the day, Piyush Goyal held a virtual meeting with Harry Theoharis, Greece's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He highlighted that the discussions revolved around deepening cooperation between India and Greece."Held a virtual ...

India's trade remains steady despite West Asia conflict: Piyush Goyal

Union Minister brought attention to India's comprehensive export growth and said that the government is focused on strengthening its competitive advantage in the global market

India well placed to handle fuel supply risks amid West Asia crisis: Goyal

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said India is well-placed to deal with any situation on crude oil and fuel, as the West Asia crisis disrupts gas shipments and shipping routes, and highlighted that the government has ramped up kerosene production to provide an alternate option for the common man. Speaking at the CNBC-TV India Business Leaders Awards 2026 ceremony, Goyal said the government plans to come up with some "concrete agenda" next week to support exporters. "On crude oil, on fuel, we are pretty well placed. We have good stocks in hand. There's been absolutely no disturbance of any sort on the crude or the fuel front, petrol, diesel, aviation fuel," Goyal said. He said that India has ramped up kerosene production so that, in the event of any delays in LPG supplies, there will be an alternate cooking medium for the common man. "Incidentally, we are also covering through imports from diversified sources the requirements of LPG and LNG," he said. "The shipping times were