FTAs and the global South: India’s path forward in 2026

In this episode of the BusinessLine Podcast – Year-Ender Series, Amiti Sen is joined by Biswajit Dhar, trade expert and former Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, to explore how India has navigated the geopolitically turbulent waters of 2025 and the impact on its international trade. Highlighting India’s approach to strategic autonomy, “India has actually signalled that it is going to look after its own interests, very much in the way that President Trump has signalled to the rest of the world that he is concerned about US interests and little else,” says Professor Dhar. He further stresses the importance of this strategic positioning as countries move away from mutual interdependence. “In today’s world, these kinds of mutual interdependence seem to have gone out of the window... every country will have to look at its own strategic interests, and India has done this,” Dhar adds. The conversation also touches on India’s growing number of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and its emphasis on diversifying trade partners, especially with the Global South. He advocates for stronger ties with developing nations, explaining, “Most of these countries have similar interests as ours... in critical areas like intellectual property and other issues such as standards, where the developing countries’ standards are much more aligned with India’s,”. Looking ahead to 2026, Professor Dhar underscores the importance of prioritising partnerships with Africa and Central Asia, where India’s interests are best served. (Host: Amiti Sen; Producer: Siddharth MC)