India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that the country is currently negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) with several economies including the United States, the European Union, New Zealand, Oman, Peru and Chile. He was speaking at the CII Partnership Summit 2025
Goyal also said that the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) would be happy to collaborate with the Andhra Pradesh government to develop a convention centre similar to New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam in the state.
India has executed FTAs with UAE, Australia, key European countries
He added that reducing global trade barriers would help promote the free flow of goods, services and capital. India has already executed FTAs with the UAE, Australia and the EFTA bloc of four European nations.
“We are currently negotiating with the EU, US, Oman, New Zealand, Chile and Peru, and many more are wanting us to start negotiations,” Goyal said at the summit. He also added that to remove domestic trade barriers, the Centre has taken steps such as eradicating 42,000 compliances and abolishing 1,500 laws.
India–Canada talks restart after diplomatic pause
On November 13, Piyush Goyal met Canada’s trade minister Maninder Sidhu at 7th India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment. Sidhu, landed in Delhi on November 12 for his three-day visit to India, said both sides are working to restart stalled trade negotiations under a “new process”. The discussions covered cooperation in artificial intelligence, clean energy, aerospace, agriculture and critical minerals.
Sidhu said Canada’s new leadership under Prime Minister Mark Carney has brought renewed momentum to the relationship, with Ottawa keen to attract Indian investment in infrastructure, mining and electric-battery supply chains. The visit marks the highest-level trade interaction since talks were paused in 2023 following diplomatic tensions.
Bilateral trade stood at about Rs 31 billion in 2024, with services exports largely favouring Canada. Sidhu also met Indian business leaders and said Goyal is expected to visit Canada soon with a trade and investment delegation.
