From a trade perspective, 2026 would probably go down in history books as an epochal year for India.
March has not even begun and Delhi has concluded the "mother of all trade deals" with the European Union and also what's now being termed the "father of all trade deals" with the United States - even though grave concerns remain about the asymmetric nature of the interim agreement which, many say, is stacked heavily in favour of the US.
Nonetheless, the pact is India's 10th free trade agreement (FTA) since 2014, signalling a sharp pivot from its protectionist stance that previously forced negotiations with several countries to languish for decades.
Fresh off the back of these new pacts, India has now also agreed to start talks for a deal with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) bloc, accounting for 15% of its global trade.
While directionally positive, these deals are hardly a silver bullet for faster exports growth and won't substitute for deeper trade reform, say experts.
