India Launches Nationwide FTA Utilisation Drive as April-July Exports Reach $317 Billion

India has launched a nationwide push to help businesses make greater use of the country’s expanding network of Free Trade Agreements, as exports during April-July 2026 rose to about $317 billion.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal called for the benefits of India’s trade agreements to reach businesses across all 780 districts, including MSMEs, startups, traders, first-time exporters and women entrepreneurs. He was addressing a national workshop in New Delhi focused on converting improved market access under FTAs into measurable export growth.

According to the Commerce Ministry, India’s nine FTAs cover economies with a combined GDP of around $60 trillion and provide preferential access to nearly two-thirds of global trade. With additional agreements and market-access negotiations progressing with countries and blocs including Canada, Mexico, Chile, Mercosur, the Gulf Cooperation Council and Israel, the government believes India could eventually obtain preferential access to around 75% of global trade.

The export numbers provide momentum to the initiative. India exported goods and services worth approximately $317 billion during April-July 2026, compared with around $280 billion during the corresponding period a year earlier. This represents an increase of roughly $36-37 billion in four months. The government has set a target of $1 trillion in exports during the current financial year.

The new outreach effort will focus particularly on helping smaller businesses understand tariff advantages, rules of origin, technical standards and other requirements needed to take advantage of preferential market access.

The government also wants states to identify products and industrial clusters that are already benefiting from FTAs, as well as sectors where available trade concessions remain underutilised. Export Promotion Councils and industry associations have been asked to reach smaller companies more effectively and provide information in local languages.

The wider Export Promotion Mission and Districts as Export Hubs programme are expected to support the drive through easier access to export credit, digitised compliance, assistance with FTA documentation and rules-of-origin certification.

India is also seeking to expand the number of companies participating in international trade by encouraging e-commerce exports, developing new products and helping first-time exporters enter overseas markets.

The nationwide FTA utilisation drive marks a shift from simply signing trade agreements towards ensuring that Indian businesses can actually use them. With preferential access expanding across major developed markets and exports already showing strong growth in FY2026-27, the government is now focusing on turning these agreements into higher shipments, new exporters and stronger participation by MSMEs in global trade.