Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal Launches Nationwide Drive to Maximize Free Trade Agreement Benefits Across 780 Districts

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal launched a nationwide outreach drive on September 3, 2026, aimed at helping Indian exporters and businesses across all 780 districts maximize benefits from the country's growing network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Speaking at the National Workshop on "Leveraging FTAs: An Outreach Programme" at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Goyal emphasized that preferential market access must extend beyond large corporations to reach micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), startups, and women entrepreneurs across the country. Goyal highlighted that India's nine active FTAs currently provide preferential market access to economies representing approximately $60 trillion in combined GDP, covering nearly two-thirds of global trade. He added that ongoing and upcoming trade negotiations—including those with Canada, Mexico, Chile, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and Israel—alongside reviews of existing agreements with ASEAN, Japan, and South Korea, could grant Indian businesses preferential access to 75 percent of global trade at tariff rates lower than major global competitors. Addressing international trade negotiations, Goyal clarified that details of the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the United States will be finalized only after Washington grants Indian exporters a clear tariff advantage over competing nations such as Vietnam and Bangladesh. He also defended India's recent first-quarter GDP growth rate of 7.8 percent, stating that the figures are independently verified by statistical agencies without political interference. According to official data, India's combined merchandise and services exports reached $317 billion between April and July 2026, reflecting strong momentum as the government pursues an annual export target of $1 trillion.