India has signed eight Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with developed economies—including the European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, EFTA, and is on the threshold of a trade deal with the United States.
All of them are developed economies. After decades of caution and defensive trade policy, is India now embracing global competition?
StratNewsGlobal.Tech spoke to Pritam Banerjee, Head of WTO Studies at IIFT, to unpack:
- Why India exited RCEP but signed FTAs with advanced economies?
- Whether India now negotiates from economic strength?
- What these trade deals mean for domestic industry and MSMEs?
- Will FTAs force reforms in logistics, regulation and input costs?
- Are India’s FTAs a sign of economic confidence — or a high-stakes gamble?
Watch the full conversation to understand India’s new trade doctrine on Capital Calculus.


