Expanding network of FTAs supports India’s trade strategy: Economic Survey

The expanding network of free trade agreements (FTAs) finalised by India over the years is supporting the country’s trade strategy by providing reliable market access amid global uncertainties, the Economic Survey 2025-26 said on Thursday (January 29, 2026).

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To sustain the momentum in India’s trade performance amid global economic uncertainties, the country is actively pursuing a diversified trade strategy, it said.

The country has concluded FTAs with various countries, including the UK, Oman, New Zealand, the European Union (EU), Australia and the UAE.

“An expanding network of FTAs supports India’s trade strategy by offering reliable market access amid global uncertainty,” the survey tabled in Parliament said.

These pacts enable export-focused firms to boost production and become more integrated into the global value chain (GVC), it added.

“Furthermore, by exposing firms to international competition, FTAs improve export competitiveness, encouraging firms to prioritise productivity and reliability over reliance on access-based benefits,” it said.

It added that enhancements in export competitiveness increasingly depend on state-level implementation, as states play a vital role in providing the infrastructure, regulatory certainty, and administrative coordination that export-focused firms need.