New Zealand To Oman: India’s Trade Horizons Widen — Inside The FTA Push

India and New Zealand have concluded negotiations on a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a major milestone in their economic ties. Talks began in March 2025 and were completed by December 2025, making it one of India’s fastest-negotiated FTAs.

Such FTAs are meant to create new opportunities for Indian businesses, farmers, students and professionals, while strengthening India’s role in global value chains.

With this, India has signed seven Free Trade Agreements since 2021. Here’s a look at the seven FTAs, the partner countries involved and what India stands to gain from each deal.

The FTA gives Indian exporters major duty-free access to the New Zealand market, while still protecting sectors in India that are considered sensitive. It supports India’s key economic goals by improving supply-chain strength, boosting growth and creating fair opportunities for different sectors.

The agreement will improve market access and reduce tariffs, helping Indian goods and services reach not just New Zealand, but also nearby Oceania and Pacific Island countries. It also opens doors for Indian professionals in fields like IT, engineering, healthcare, education and construction.

Services such as yoga instructors, Indian chefs, Ayush practitioners and music teachers are also expected to benefit. Overall, the FTA is seen as a step towards deeper cooperation in trade, services, skills, and cultural exchange, and a move that strengthens India’s presence in the region.

On Dec. 18, India signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Oman to strengthen economic ties with its Gulf partner. The agreement provides Indian exporters near duty-free access across key sectors, including textiles, gems, leather, pharmaceuticals, and engineering goods. It also enhances services trade, increases mobility for Indian professionals, allows full investment in major sectors, and creates opportunities for Ayush and wellness exports.

Overall, the agreement is expected to boost trade, generate jobs, reinforce supply chains, and expand India’s economic footprint in the Gulf.

India and the UK signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement in July. The agreement removes tariffs on 99% of India’s exports to the UK, covering nearly all trade by value, with major wins in marine products, textiles, leather and processed foods. Indian agriculture benefits significantly, as most agri-exports can now enter the UK duty-free.

Services sectors such as IT, finance, education and healthcare gain greater access. The deal also allows 1,800 Indian chefs, yoga instructors and artists annually under contractual service quotas. Overall, the agreement strengthens India’s trade, expands professional opportunities, boosts exports and benefits consumers with wider choices and lower prices.

India’s Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) — a club of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein — was signed on March 10, 2024, and came into effect in October 2025.

The agreement reduces or eliminates tariffs on most goods traded with the EFTA countries and opens up new opportunities in services and investment.

Beyond trade, it aims to attract $100 billion in foreign direct investment over the next 15 years, supporting the creation of one million direct jobs in India. This pact strengthens India’s market access, boosts exports, attracts high-value investment from the non-Euro group.

The India-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), 2022 was signed on Feb. 18, and came into effect on May 1.

Under the deal, India gained preferential market access on over 97% of tariff lines, covering 99% of Indian exports by value, with major benefits for labour-intensive sectors such as gems and jewellery, textiles, leather, footwear, sports goods, plastics, furniture, agricultural products, engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and automobiles.

The agreement also opened improved opportunities in services, giving Indian providers greater access across 111 sub-sectors in 11 broad service areas.

India and Australia signed the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) in 2022. It is an an interim pact and the two countries are in discussion for a full-scale FTA.

As of 2024, merchandise trade more than doubled, with India’s exports growing across key sectors like textiles, chemicals, agriculture and diversified products such as gold studded with diamonds and turbojets.

The FTA negotiations have covered a wide range of areas, including goods, services and mobility, digital trade, rules of origin, legal and institutional provisions, environment, labour, and gender, bringing greater understanding for convergence in the remaining provisions.

Mauritius and India signed a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) in February 2021, covering trade in goods, services, investment and other areas like customs, telecom and financial services.

Mauritius provides preferential access to India on 310 products, with Tariff Rate Quotas on 88 products such as spices, tea, plastic articles, wooden furniture, parts of motor vehicles, amongst others.

Indian service providers have access to around 115 sub-sectors from the 11 broad service sectors such as professional services, computer-related services, research & development, other business services, telecommunication, construction, distribution, education, environmental, financial, tourism & travel-related, recreational, yoga, audio-visual services, and transport services.