India, Canada to restart CEPA talks next week: Piyush Goyal

Addressing the AGM, Goyal said that India has already concluded a very balanced, robust, fair and equitable agreement with Australia, UAE, Mauritius, UK, the 4 nation EFTA group. “At this point of time we are in talks with 14 groups of countries collectively representing around 50 countries of the world. Our focus is on countries of significance where we complement each other. We are talking to Oman while Bahrain and Qatar want to enter into negotiations with India along with the GCC countries. We are also talking to New Zealand, simultaneously with Australia on second stage agreement,” he added.

Goyal further stated that India is reviewing ASEAN and Korea FTA to bring more balance. “We have recently started negotiations with Eurasia and are working to start negotiations very quickly with Israel with whom terms of reference was finalised last week,” he added.

He stated that in India’s growth story, self-reliance will be at the core. Prime Minister Modi has proved that the betterment of the economy can also be the basis of politics, and this is evident from the recent Free Trade Agreements which India has signed or currently working on with other developed nations, FICCI said in a press release.

During the event, Goyal also unveiled the FICCI’s 100-year logo and said that over the last 98 years, FICCI is an organisation with a proud lineage, founded at the behest of Mahatma Gandhi. And the theme of ‘India: Self-Reliant Economic Powerhouse’, resonates perfectly with Mahatma Gandhi's vision of a self-reliant economic powerhouse.

Harsha Vardhan Agarwal, president, FICCI, said that world-scale manufacturing, bold innovation, empowered youth, and the full participation of women—together, they form the very architecture of India’s self-reliance.

“When these pillars stand strong, India does not merely grow; it leads with confidence and purpose. This is India’s moment. Our moment to accelerate. Our moment to transform. Our moment to build a truly Viksit Bharat,” Agarwal added.

Anant Goenka, president – elect, FICCI said that they at FICCI reaffirm their commitment to supporting the government’s reform agenda, and they stand ready to work to prioritise innovation, skilling, ease of doing business, and the effective utilisation of various FTAs.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (RR)