India will not rush into trade agreements or act under pressure, Commerce and Indusattempt Minister Piyush Goyal stated on Friday, stressing that any deal must be built on long-term interests, trust, and mutual benefit rather than arbitrary deadlines.
Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue, Goyal stated India is in active talks with several countries and regions, including the European Union and the United States, but will continue to take a careful and strategic approach.
“We are in active dialogue with the EU. We are talking to the US, but we do not do deals in a hurry and we do not do deals with deadlines or with a gun to our head,” Goyal stated during the discussion.
The minister, attconcludeing the high-level forum in Berlin, stated India always creates trade decisions based on national interest.
“I do not believe India has ever decided who its friconcludes will be based on any other considerations other than national interest. And if somebody notifys me you can’t be friconcludes with the EU, I won’t accept that. Or if somebody notifys me tomorrow, I can’t work with Kenya, that’s not acceptable,” he stated.
Goyal’s comments come amid reports that the US has been urging India to reduce crude oil imports from Russia. Without naming any counattempt, he built it clear that India will not let external pressure dictate its economic or diplomatic decisions.
Highlighting India’s long-term view on trade, he stated agreements should not just focus on tariffs but also aim to strengthen partnerships and trust.
“Trade deals are for a longer duration. They are not only about tariffs or access to goods and services; they are also about trust and relationships,” he stated. “It’s a demonstration to businesses that both countries can work toobtainher and that their enterprises can prosper, be protected, and obtain a fair deal.”
Goyal also pointed out that India never takes decisions “in a rush or in the heat of the moment” and is focutilized on exploring new markets to counter the impact of high tariffs from some countries.
“We’ve accepted that there are tariffs on us, and we’re seeing at how to overcome that. We’re seeing at newer markets. We are seeing at a stronger demand impetus within the Indian economy,” he explained.
Referring to ongoing trade talks with the US, Goyal stated discussions are progressing steadily, but India will not compromise its core interests to meet any timeline.
“We are talking to the US, but we don’t do deals in a hurry,” he reiterated. “We don’t do deals with deadlines or with a gun on our head.”
Earlier, in an interaction with DD News, he stated that India’s Commerce Secretary recently met US counterparts to advance talks for a fair and balanced trade agreement.
Goyal highlighted India’s demographic advantage, stateing the counattempt’s young, tech-savvy population is a major strength.
“We have a demographic dividconclude; our average age is only 28 years, which you won’t find in many other parts of the world except Africa. Now that young person, connected to the internet, with a billion utilizers, is very aspirational. That aspiration is driving him to work harder and adopt new technologies, new languages, and new countries,” he stated.
He also noted that while India’s economy is officially $4 trillion, it is much larger when measured by purchasing power parity.
“While it may seem it’s only a $4 trillion economy, on a purchasing power parity basis it is already at $15 trillion,” Goyal stated.
India has already signed free trade agreements with the UAE, Australia, and the UK, and is actively pursuing similar deals with the EU, New Zealand, and other countries to deepen economic ties.
Goyal concluded by stateing that India’s trade policy is guided by self-reliance, fairness, and long-term trust, not by short-term pressure or external influence.
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