The Tribune | 28 April 2026
India signed 9 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in 6 years
by Aditya Rangroo
With the signing of India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Monday, India has emerged decisive and confident, thus redrawing and redefining the map of global trade and charting modern, future-ready and new generation of trade agreements.
The deal with New Zealand grants 100 per cent duty-free access for all Indian exports to New Zealand, covering all tariff lines and it will significantly boost MSMEs and employment.
With this, India has steadily expanded its network of free trade agreements over the past few years reaching nine FTAs spanning 38 countries.
Starting with India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) signed in February in 2021. This was a historic trade agreement which is India's first with an African nation.
It was followed by India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in May 2022. With the goal of raising overall trade to $100 billion in five years, the deal removes or lowers tariffs on more than 80 per cent of goods.
In December 2022, the India-Australia Economic and Trade Agreement were implemented. It is seen as a historic agreement that aims to double bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030. The agreements outlines that 100 per cent of Australian imports from India will have immediate duty-free access by 2026, while India has removed duties on more than 85 per cent of Australian goods.
India then signed the EFTA TEPA in March 2024, which entered into force on October 1, 2025. India and the European Free Trade Association (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) have reached a historic agreement. It aims to generate 1 million direct employments in India over a 15-year period and commits $100 billion in foreign direct investments (FDI) from EFTA countries.
Similarly, the India-UK CETA was signed in July 2025. The agreement aims to increase bilateral commerce by lowering tariffs on British goods and removing tariffs on approximately 99 per cent of Indian exports to the UK.
Then India-Oman CEPA was signed in December 2025. The historic agreement aims to increase bilateral trade to more than $10.61 billion. It covers 99.38 per cent of export value and grants India 100 per cent duty-free access on 98.08 per cent of tariff lines.
Then comes the ‘Mother of all deals’ India-EU FTA in January 2026. This agreement, which is expected to come into effect by 2027, significantly reduces tariffs on products, services, and digital trade by eliminating tariffs on 99.5 per cent of Indian exports to the EU and granting duty discounts on 97.5 per cent of EU imports into India.
Lastly, India-US Interim Trade Framework was announced in February 2026. This seeks to improve economic cooperation, lower reciprocal tariffs, and ease trade tensions. The key components include the US offering tariff relief on Indian exports and addressing Section 232 steel/aluminium charges, while India lowers tariffs on US industrial/agricultural goods and tackles non-tariff barriers.
