India’s expanding network of trade agreements is opening new markets for its food and agricultural exports, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said today, highlighting how recent free trade agreements (FTAs) are helping integrate Indian businesses into global value chains.

Speaking at the 40th edition of the Aahar international food and hospitality fair in New Delhi, Goyal said India has finalised nine FTAs in the past three and a half years, providing preferential market access across a large part of global trade.

“The nine FTAs we have finalised in the last three and a half years have opened the doors to 38 developed and prosperous countries where there’s a large market awaiting all of you,” Goyal said.

According to him, these agreements now give India preferential access covering nearly two-thirds of global trade. The expanding network, he added, is helping position India as an attractive investment destination and enabling domestic firms to become part of global value chains.

The push comes as India’s exports of food, agriculture and fisheries products continue to grow. Goyal said exports from these sectors together currently stand at nearly ₹5 lakh crore, or more than $55 billion annually.

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The government sees these sectors as key beneficiaries of trade agreements as global demand for food products continues to rise. Europe, the United States and several developed economies remain major importers of agricultural and processed food products, presenting opportunities for Indian exporters.

New markets and expanding trade partnerships

Goyal noted that several trade partnerships are already in place or under negotiation. India’s agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)—which includes Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland—recently completed two years.

“Today is two years from the day we finalised the EFTA agreement,” he said.

In addition to existing partnerships with countries such as Australia, Japan, Korea and members of the ASEAN region, India is also exploring new agreements. Discussions are underway with Canada, while negotiations have been launched with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) grouping in the Middle East.

India also maintains trade agreements with countries such as UAE, Mauritius and Oman, creating a network of markets for Indian exporters.

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Goyal said such agreements allow Indian goods to enter several markets at almost zero duty or very low tariffs, particularly in Europe. This opens opportunities for food processing companies, agricultural producers, fishermen and small businesses to expand exports.

He encouraged companies participating in the Aahar exhibition to use these opportunities to explore new markets and expand their export footprint.

“For anybody who’s starting his export journey or looking at a new product or a new market, from the export promotion mission we are willing to give every possible support and hand-holding,” Goyal said, referring to assistance through the commerce ministry, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and other export promotion initiatives.

The minister also urged exhibitors to collaborate with international participants and explore new technologies, packaging methods and manufacturing partnerships to strengthen India’s food export ecosystem.

With wider market access and growing global demand, the government expects farmers, fishermen, MSMEs and food processors to benefit from the expanding trade architecture.

“I’m confident our farmers, our fishermen, our MSMEs are going to have huge opportunities. A plethora of doors are going to open for you,” Goyal said.