 "India-EU FTA drawing global attention, many calling it ‘a game-changer’: PM Modi")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described India’s recently agreed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union as a global “game-changer” and praised it as the “Mother of All Deals,” highlighting its potential to transform trade, industry, and opportunities for Indian youth.
Addressing a gathering at the annual National Cadet Corps PM Rally at Delhi Cantonment, he said, “India and the European Union (EU) agreed upon a historic free trade agreement. Before this, India has done FTAs with Oman, New Zealand, Britain, the UAE, Australia, and countries like Mauritius. All these agreements are going to open countless opportunities for lakhs of our youths.”
Speaking on the significance of the agreement with the 27 EU member states, PM Modi said that the FTA represents one-fourth of the world’s GDP and one-third of global trade.
He called it a “Freedom to Aspire” for India’s young population, emphasising that the deal will expand access to funding, innovation ecosystems, and global markets for Indian startups.
The Prime Minister underlined the FTA’s benefits for India’s creative economy, including film, gaming, fashion, digital content, music, and design.
“The agreement would create new avenues for youth in research, education, IT, and professional services,” he added.
PM Modi highlighted that tariffs on over 99% of India’s exports will either be zero or minimal, benefiting industries such as textiles, leather, gems and jewellery, footwear, engineering goods, and MSMEs.
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View All“Weavers, artisans, and small entrepreneurs will gain direct access to the vast markets of 27 European countries,” he said, adding that the FTA will accelerate the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign and strengthen “Make in India, Make for the World.”
The Prime Minister also pointed to the deal’s potential to attract foreign investment, leading to new manufacturing plants in engineering, electronics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
The agreement is expected to secure markets for agriculture, food processing, and fisheries, creating opportunities for farmers, fishermen, and rural youth.
PM Modi emphasised that the FTA will connect Indian youth directly to Europe’s job market, offering roles in engineering, green technology, design, logistics, and advanced manufacturing.
“This is a major opportunity for India’s youth across 27 countries,” he said, framing the FTA as a transformative step for India’s economy and global engagement.
India and the EU on Tuesday sealed a landmark free trade agreement, billed as the “mother of all deals”, to create a market of two billion people with PM Modi and the top EU leadership unveiling a transformative five-year agenda to largely leverage trade and defence in protecting the rules-based world order.
The two sides also inked two crucial pacts, one on security and defence collaboration and another on mobility of Indian talents to Europe, after Modi hosted EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa for summit talks amid frosty ties with the US.
“This is not just a trade agreement. This is a new blueprint for shared prosperity,” PM Modi said on Tuesday.
With inputs from agencies
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