‘Future-ready trade deals’: PM Modi cites India-EU, US agreements, hits back at Oppn

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday underscored India’s expanding trade footprint, citing nine agreements agreed to in recent years with major economies such as United States and the European Union (EU).

"India is forging future-ready trade deals. We have trade agreements with nine of the world's major countries, including the "mother of all deals" with the EU," he said.

The Prime Minister was replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Rajya Sabha.

During his address, the Prime Minister highlighted that such trade agreements would benefit young Indians across regions and social groups.

“The US trade deal will be most beneficial to the youth, including those from urban areas and rural, as well as for girls and boys," he said.

Noting that the entire world is praising these trade agreements, the Prime Minister said it was a "positive sign". "Big countries are very eager to have trade relations with India. Be it the trade deal of the European Union or the recent deal with the US... The entire world is openly praising these trade deals," Modi said.

"When the trade agreement with the European Union happened, it strengthened global confidence in stability. After the trade deal with the United States, the world’s confidence grew further, what was earlier a sense of stability is now accompanied by a sense of momentum," he added.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, which staged a walkout at the beginning of the Prime Minister's speech, Modi said, "Those who are tired and disappointed today will, sooner or later, have to answer how they allowed the country to reach a stage where no nation in the world was willing to enter into a trade deal with India. You may have tried, you may have made repeated efforts, but no one even looked in your direction. Countries simply were not willing to strike deals with India at that time."