India to roll out 6–7 FTAs next year as trade push accelerates: Piyush Goyal

New Delhi: India is likely to execute three to four significant trade agreements in the coming year, while another two to three substantive free trade agreements (FTAs) are expected to come into force in the next six months, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.

All nine recently concluded trade agreements are expected to operationalise over the next nine to 10 months, he said.

Speaking at the Citi India Conference 2026, Goyal noted that the India-Oman FTA came into effect on June 1.


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India and the United States are closer to signing the first tranche of a trade deal.

The deal with the European Union has been concluded and is awaiting signing, while the agreement with the United Kingdom, signed last year, is pending implementation.

The minister highlighted that India has signed nine FTAs over the last three to three-and-a-half years, covering 38 developed economies. These agreements, he said, complement India's growth story by expanding market access, facilitating trade, enabling movement of talent and attracting investments, including the establishment of global capability centres in the country.

The minister noted that India is moving beyond assembly-based manufacturing toward innovation-led growth by promoting design, research and development, artificial intelligence applications and indigenous technological capabilities.

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He urged investors to bring patient and long-term capital to support India's transition toward emerging technologies and future industries.

Goyal said India will continue to remain the world's fastest-growing economy for more than two decades.

He added that the country has consistently turned crises into opportunities by adapting its processes and business strategies to evolving geopolitical and economic realities, while remaining an attractive destination for trade, business, manufacturing and investment.

The minister also highlighted India's successful management of the global energy crisis despite concerns arising from West Asia developments and the disruptions to energy supplies from the Gulf region.

He said the country's efforts to diversify energy sources ensure uninterrupted availability of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas at relatively moderate prices.

Fertiliser prices for farmers, he added, have remained unchanged despite global increases, with the burden absorbed by the central government.