The Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry organised a conference on “Next-Gen Trade Pacts: Leveraging India’s Partnership with Europe under FTAs” in New Delhi on May 19, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, trade experts, legal practitioners and academicians to discuss India’s evolving trade engagement with Europe under emerging free trade agreements.
The conference focused on market access, regulatory compliance, services trade, digital economy engagement and challenges arising from the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). During the inaugural session, FICCI Secretary General Anant Swarup highlighted the growing importance of India’s trade partnerships with Europe, while FICCI Foreign Trade and Trade Facilitation Committee Chair and Shahi Exports Managing Director Harish Ahuja stressed the need to strengthen standards infrastructure, testing and certification capabilities, digital compliance tools and institutional mechanisms to tackle non-tariff barriers in European markets.
Professor and Head of CTIL James J. Nedumpara delivered the context-setting address, underlining that next-generation trade agreements go beyond tariff liberalisation and are shaping the future framework of international trade and economic cooperation. Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce and Industry Darpan Jain described the conclusion of India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations as a major milestone in India’s economic diplomacy. He said the agreement would provide preferential tariff treatment to 99.5 per cent of Indian exports, strengthen India’s integration into European value chains and improve market access across goods and services sectors.
FICCI Director General Jyoti Vij highlighted the importance of awareness, capacity-building and enterprise preparedness to ensure effective utilisation of trade agreements by industry stakeholders.
The conference featured four thematic sessions examining opportunities under India’s trade agreements with Europe, standards and regulatory compliance in European markets, services trade and digital economy engagement, and the implications of CBAM for Indian industry. Discussions focused on enhancing market access, strengthening export competitiveness, addressing sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade, expanding India’s services footprint in European markets and navigating emerging carbon-related trade measures.
Experts from CTIL also delivered presentations on leveraging India’s FTAs with the UK, EU and EFTA, addressing SPS and TBT barriers, services trade and digital economy engagement, CBAM-related challenges and the role of CTIL’s Trade Remedies Advisory Cell. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by FICCI Assistant Secretary General Pragati Srivastava.
