India plans a sharp cut in car import tariffs for EU automakers, signalling its biggest market opening yet as New Delhi and Brussels near a landmark free trade pact
Ahead of the India-EU Summit on January 27, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met EU ambassadors and pitched stronger trade, mobility and security ties to help stabilise a volatile global order
US Senator Steve Daines urged faster India-US trade talks, pressing for greater market access for American pulses, a long-standing and sensitive issue for New Delhi
Heavy importer demand and maturing NDF positions pushed the rupee to its steepest one-day fall in two months, even as RBI dollar sales capped deeper losses
The free trade agreement between India and the 27-nation bloc EU will be the "mother of all deals", Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. He also said that the proposed agreement will be a good and mutually beneficial trade pact. "This will be the mother of all deals," Goyal told reporters here. He also said that the bilateral trade between the two sides is reasonably balanced in goods and services. It will also be a "super deal" for Indian export sectors, he added. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrwal on Thursday said India and the EU are "very close" to concluding negotiations on the proposed free trade agreement (FTA). He said the discussions are underway to resolve remaining issues so that the deal is ready for announcement during the visit of top EU leadership later this month. The government has finalised seven trade agreements since 2014.
'Sensitive' agri issues may be off the table
President of the European Council Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will be on a state visit to India from January 25 to 27
India and the US have resumed virtual talks on a bilateral trade deal after the holiday break, with both sides signalling commitment but no timeline yet for in-person negotiations
The government on Tuesday dismissed claims by some Pakistani social media accounts that India has suspended trade operations with Afghanistan due to unrest in Iran, saying the reports were completely false. It said that a fabricated letter is being circulated by Pakistani propaganda accounts on the matter. Iran is witnessing widespread nationwide protests. "A fabricated letter is being circulated by #Pakistani propaganda accounts, falsely claiming that India has temporarily suspended trade operations with #Afghanistan due to escalating unrest in #Iran," PIB Fact Check said in a social media post. In 2024-25, India's exports to Afghanistan stood at USD 318.91 million, while imports were aggregated at USD 689.81 million.
Says both nations remain 'actively' engaged, next call scheduled on Jan 13
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also added that the US had expected the trade deal with India to be closed before others
As the US disrupts global trade and India pushes major trade deals, 2026 will test whether reforms, new economic measures and shifting geopolitics can sustain India's growth momentum
In 2025, multilateral trade rules weakened as the US raised tariffs, yet global trade stayed resilient, led by strong supply chains, China's leverage and India's adaptive policy response
Real GDP growth surprised on the upside in 2025, but weaker nominal growth, trade uncertainty, and soft demand signal a bumpier road ahead
Talks are going on for the last nine months, with no outcome, despite over a half dozen rounds of in-person formal and informal negotiations
The deal includes sweeping tariff cuts, expanded services access, enhanced labour mobility and a long-term investment commitment
Government officials said that India and the EU are continuing to engage with each other to narrow the differences and close the free trade agreement (FTA) talks at the earliest
Under the trade deal, Oman has offered India zero-duty market access on 98 per cent of its tariff lines, covering over 99 per cent of India's exports to Oman
Today's pieces look at why a US trade deal is critical, issues in the higher education reform, the need for more services exports besides PMC, why India must develop design skills, and Malala's memoir
The rupee is currently the worst-performing Asian currency, with 5.95 per cent depreciation witnessed in 2025 so far