For years, India was seen as a reluctant participant in global trade agreements. This changed dramatically since 2021.
In the five years since, India has negotiated nine new-age Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) spanning nearly 40 countries—from the UAE and Australia to EFTA, the UK, New Zealand and the European Union, with the United States also moving closer.
Is this merely a collection of trade deals? Or does it represent something much bigger?
In this episode of Capital Calculus, StratNewsGlobal.Tech spoke to trade policy expert Pritam Banerjee, Head of the Centre for WTO Studies at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, in the backdrop of the India-UK agreement that took effect last week.
Prof Banerjee, argues these agreements are more than a tariff rejig. They are part of a broader strategy to make India a trusted manufacturing platform, integrate it into global value chains and build long-term competitiveness.
Topics Covered
- Why “Who won?” is the wrong question;
- India’s new trade philosophy;
- Why new-age FTAs go far beyond tariffs;
- Building a network of trusted economic partners;
- Competitiveness versus protectionism;
- Why domestic reforms and FTAs complement each other;
- How India is positioning itself in global supply chains;
- Is this India’s Second Liberalisation?
