Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Israel for two days to discuss bilateral and regional issues, marking his second visit to the Jewish state and highlighting the growing strategic partnership between India and Israel.
India has been on an FTA-signing spree of late. Since 2021, it has signed eight trade agreements, three of which -- with the UK, Oman and New Zealand -- were finalised in 2025 alone.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticizes Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Indo-US trade deal, following Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's statement on not entering agreements under deadlines. Gandhi predicts Modi will yield to Trump's tariff deadline.
Customs regimes can lead to labyrinthine legal disputes. Budget 2026 must recognise that an excessively defensive Customs posture can itself become a trade barrier, point out Mukesh Butani and Shankey Agrawal.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will propose to establish the world's biggest Free Trade Area between China and India during his talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh next week.
India and France have elevated their relationship to a 'special global strategic partnership,' with increased cooperation in defense, trade, and technology. The leaders also inaugurated a helicopter assembly line in Karnataka.
The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has appealed to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for liquidity support to Indian exporters, citing a significant increase in freight costs and extended payment cycles due to the ongoing West Asia conflict.
Import duty cuts on labour-intensive sectors such as textiles and footwear, as well as cars, and wines, are likely to be part of the free trade agreement between India and the 27-nation bloc European Union (EU), the conclusion of which is set to be announced on January 27 here, sources said.
India must be cautious while negotiating the proposed bilateral trade agreement with the US, as the absence of Fast Track Trade Authority in America makes any pact vulnerable to Congressional changes, economic think tank GTRI said on Tuesday. It also said that the certification process allows the US to effectively re-negotiate the trade agreement after it is signed, demanding domestic legal changes, regulatory reforms, and policy shifts that could undermine India's sovereignty.
'Even if tariffs are reduced, non-tariff may still remain a challenge.'
Over the years, India-EU ties have grown, and covered trade, investment, climate change, science and technology, space, digital, mobility, and connectivity.
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that the Israeli military will not withdraw from its security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, directly opposing the newly announced American-led diplomatic framework with Tehran. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir further asserted Israel's sovereignty, stating, "Trump's agreement does not bind us. Israel is not subject to the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign nation!"
A trade deal makes sense only if it is fair and reciprocal. If the cost is strategic dependence or loss of policy space, waiting is the wiser option, asserts Ajay Srivastava.
India emerged reasonably well from 2025. But now, the oil shock and war-related supply disruptions have again driven funds out of India and significantly weakened the rupee, points out Ajay Chhibber.
The comments came a day after US President Donald Trump said that Washington is "very close" to the trade pact with India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel aims to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations, focusing on cooperation in various sectors including defense, technology, and trade.
Indian students going to New Zealand for studies will now be eligible for a two-year work visa.
While India's export to China stood at only $13.52 billion in 2012-13, its imports from that country aggregated $54.3 billion, leaving a trade deficit of $40.78 billion during the last fiscal.
The government on Tuesday approved the draft of India's free trade agreement with Japan, which is likely to be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Tokyo later this month.
India and Israel have elevated their relationship to a special strategic partnership, focusing on enhanced cooperation in trade, technology, and defense, while also addressing regional peace initiatives.
India and the UK on Thursday inked a landmark free trade agreement (FTA) that will cut tariffs on British whisky, cars and an array of items, besides boosting bilateral trade by around $34 billion annually.
'...but I would not like to put a timeline to it'
John Clancy, spokesperson for the European Commission's trade directorate, told Business Standard this week's talks would focus on 'tariffs and services'.
During 2013-14, imports from Japan, South Korea and Malaysia stood at $9.49 billion, $12.47 billion and $9.21 billion respectively.
Champagne consumption in India is expanding beyond major metropolitan areas into smaller cities like Kanpur, Guwahati, and Lucknow, driven by a desire for sophisticated lifestyle declarations and a growing appreciation for the beverage.
Putin's State visit will centre on fixing the huge India-Russia trade imbalance, with both sides pushing to lower duties, ease non-tariff barriers, and seal a landmark mobility pact to send more Indian workers to Russia.
Tensions escalate between Iran and the US over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping lane for global oil supplies, as both sides discuss extending a fragile ceasefire.
Trading pattern in the stock market this week will largely depend on the ongoing Q3 earnings announcement from corporates, global trends, and foreign fund movement, analysts said. Moreover, geopolitical developments and any update on trade negotiations would also be keenly tracked by investors, experts noted.
In a veiled attack on US President Donald Trump, Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson on Tuesday said India's free trade agreement with the European Union is a "perfect" answer to global hegemons that use tariffs and economic integration as tools of coercion.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday expressed hope that India will conclude the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US by the fall or November this year. He said that "a little bit" of geopolitical issues overtook the trade matters in the negotiations for the pact between the two countries.
India and the European Union (EU) on Tuesday announced the conclusion and finalisation of negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA).
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said India and the 27-nation EU bloc are "really very near" to concluding talks for the proposed free trade agreement, with only a few issues left to be resolved.
Earlier this week, commerce secretary Rahul Khullar met EU director-general for trade David O'Sullivan to review the progress so far. Several differences mired the process over EU's insistence on including social issues such as human rights, labour policies and climate change within the FTA purview.
Exporters of gems and jewellery have said the free-trade agreement (FTA) has brought relief to their sector because this opens up the world's second-largest market and brings them on a par with China and Thailand, which face zero tariffs on shipments to Europe.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed cooperation in trade, critical minerals, nuclear energy, and defence, reaffirming commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
'Once the market decides it wants to go up, it goes up -- no amount of bad news can really hold it back.'
India and the UK on Tuesday sealed an ambitious free trade deal along with a double contribution convention with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the landmark pacts will catalyse trade, investment, growth and job creation in both the economies. Modi made the announcement on the agreements after a phone conversation with his British counterpart Keir Starmer.
India and the US have concluded the fifth round of talks for the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) in Washington. Both sides are looking at finalising an interim trade deal before August 1. Issues related to agriculture and automobiles figured during the negotiations.
Both India and the EU are likely to announce a conclusion of trade talks on January 27.
India is considering making concessions on the five-year standstill period for duty cuts on crude and refined palm oil
