New Delhi October 15
After the 14th round of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, India-EU FTA negotiations have entered an advanced stage, as both sides intensify discussions to resolve key issues and accelerate the agreement's conclusion.According to the Commerce Ministry, India's trade diplomacy is gaining momentum, with other countries also following suit. India is negotiating multiple bilateral trade deals, including those with the UK, Australia, the US, Korea, and others.
The 14th round of negotiations for India-EU FTA, held from October 6 to 10, 2025, in Brussels, covered 12 policy areas and 91 technical sessions. Discussions centred on market access for goods and services, Rules of Origin, Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).On bilateral trade talks with the United States (US), engagement between the two sides is going on. The US Ambassador-designate was in India and met with all stakeholders, having productive meetings. Negotiating teams from India are in the US. They are trying to find a win-win solution for both parties. Discussions are ongoing about 45 per cent of India's exports to the US remaining untariffed.India also deepened its economic partnership with the United Kingdom (UK) through a series of high-level interactions.UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited India from October 8 to 9, 2025, accompanied by senior ministers, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and university leaders. On the sidelines of the visit, a bilateral meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade was held in Mumbai on October 8, where both sides signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) to reset the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).India's Commerce Secretary also met the Director General of the UK Department for Business and Trade, while multiple sectoral roundtables were organised across priority industries. The India-UK CEO Forum, co-chaired by top industry leaders, explored fresh opportunities for investment, innovation, and trade expansion.
India's engagement with various countries on the trade front also remains robust. Negotiations with several other countries are progressing well. India-Australia CECA, 11 formal rounds completed, latest held in August 2025. India-Sri Lanka ETCA, 14 rounds held, latest in July 2024.
On India-Oman CEPA, negotiations concluded after 5 rounds of talks. India-Peru FTA, 9th round scheduled for November 3-5, 2025 while India-Chile FTA, 3rd round scheduled for October 27-31, 2025. India-USA bilateral trade talks, 5 rounds completed and it is progressing well. India-Korea CEPA, 11 rounds held so far, with the latest in Seoul in July 2024.These developments highlight India's strategy to build diversified trade partnerships and enhance global market integration, aligning with its vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and export-led growth.With the India-EU FTA progressing steadily and several bilateral negotiations nearing key milestones, India's trade engagement with global partners is expected to see a significant breakthrough in the coming months.
- ANI
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