Amid global turmoil, India maintained momentum of its economic growth, says Amit Shah

Panaji: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said India had maintained the momentum of its economic growth despite global geopolitical turmoil as it engaged with other countries and built strategic partnerships in key areas.

He asserted India's reach in the diplomatic world was increasing and it had concluded nine free trade agreements (FTAs) by 2026, noting wider economic engagement helped the country record GDP growth rate of 7.8 per cent for the first quarter (April-June) of the financial year 2026-27.

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Addressing a function organised in Panaji to confer the President's Colour on the Goa Police, Shah said the global diplomatic landscape had remained turbulent over the past years due to the Russia-Ukraine war and now the conflict involving the US, Iran and Gulf countries.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to 22 countries over the past year, while heads of state from around 15 countries visited India during the same period.

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"At a time when the whole world was grappling with uncertainty over its economic growth because of this (geopolitical) turmoil, we engaged with other countries, presented strategic partnerships and maintained the momentum of our economic growth," Shah stressed.

India has entered into concrete agreements in areas such as defence, technology, energy, investment and trade, he noted.

Shah said India had concluded nine free trade agreements by 2026, while FTAs had been proposed with 38 countries as effective trade arrangements.

India was pursuing FTAs with the UAE, Australia, the UK, Oman, New Zealand and the European Union with the objective of increasing trade, stated the Union minister.

"This is also one of the reasons why, in the first quarter of this (fiscal) year, our GDP recorded a robust growth of 7.8 per cent," Shah said.

Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant was also present for the function.