In the last five years, India has sealed seven significant trade pacts as part of its effort to expand its global economic footprint. (AI image)

India announced concluding a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Zealand on Monday paving the way for duty-free entry of Indian goods into New Zealand and a planned inflow of $20 billion in investments over the next 15 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon made the announcement through their social media handles. The two sides also expect the pact to support their goal of doubling bilateral trade within five years.However, New Zealand’s foreign affairs minister Winston Peters has voiced his opposition to the trade agreement, claiming the deal was ‘neither free nor fair’. Peters posted on social media platform X, “New Zealand First is regrettably opposed to the India Free Trade Agreement announced today. We consider the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement to be neither free nor fair. Regrettably, this is a bad deal for New Zealand. It gives too much away, especially on immigration, and does not get enough in return for New Zealanders, including on dairy,” said Peters.India on its part has always maintained that agriculture and dairy sectors are a red line for any trade deal. This will be India’s third free trade agreement in a span of a year, after similar deals with the United Kingdom in July and Oman earlier this month. The agreement provides additional temporary employment visas for Indians and smoother market access for pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The India-New Zealand FTA is expected to be formally signed within the next three months and is likely to come into effect next year.Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the trade deal is India’s seventh free trade agreement concluded under the Modi government. The deal assumes significance since it comes at a time when India is looking to diversify markets for its exports, especially given trade barriers that have been erected by the Donald Trump administration.Goyal’s message was clear: “In an increasingly protectionist world, India is trading more and concluding FTAs, resulting in a rise in exports, leading to prosperity for our farmers, traders, exporters & MSMEs.”

What is a Free Trade Agreement & why are FTAs important?

A free trade agreement is a trade deal where the economic arrangement between two or more countries helps eliminate or substantially reduce customs duties on a wide range of traded goods. These pacts also aim to lower non-trade barriers on a significant share of imports, while easing rules to encourage services exports and cross border investments.Such agreements offer multiple benefits. Zero duty access to partner markets helps exporters diversify and expand their reach. FTAs also tend to attract foreign investment, which can support domestic manufacturing, while improving access to raw materials, intermediate inputs and capital goods needed for higher value manufacturing.

Which are the 7 trade agreements India has concluded in the last 5 years?

In the last five years, India has sealed seven significant trade pacts as part of its effort to expand its global economic footprint. These are:India–New Zealand FTA (2025)All Indian exports to New Zealand will now face zero duty once the deal comes into place. Under the terms of the pact, tariffs will be eliminated or lowered on about 95% of New Zealand’s exports to India, covering products such as wool, coal, timber, wine, avocados and blueberries. However, India has retained protections for sensitive sectors and has not opened its market to imports of dairy products, onions, sugar, spices, edible oils and rubber in order to safeguard farmers and domestic industries.New Zealand’s investment commitment of $20 billion will be directed towards manufacturing, infrastructure, services, innovation and employment generation in India.

India-New Zealand FTA

For India, the agreement strengthens access to a high-income, rules-based Pacific market and supports its broader Indo-Pacific economic strategy. For New Zealand, it offers more secure entry into one of the world’s fastest-growing large economies at a time of rising global trade uncertainty, notes Global Trade Research Initiative in an analysis.India–Oman CEPA (2025)India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership provides almost complete duty-free entry for Indian exports, and creates wide-ranging prospects across labour-intensive industries, advanced services, and skilled workforce mobility.The agreement brings exceptional access to the Omani market, strong commitments on services and investment, improved pathways for Indian professionals, and targeted benefits for sectors such as pharmaceuticals, traditional medicine, and regulatory standards, underscoring a key advance in India’s economic outreach to the Gulf region.India–UK CETA (2025)India and the United Kingdom’s Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement grants almost complete duty-free entry for Indian products and significantly expands export prospects, particularly for labour-intensive industries.Beyond goods trade, the agreement includes far-reaching commitments in services, simplified movement for Indian professionals, and a key social security arrangement that increases workers’ net earnings while reducing compliance expenses for Indian firms.Some of the other trade agreements are:

Why are free trade agreements important for India?

India’s biggest export destination continues to be the US and with the Donald Trump administration imposing 50% punitive tariffs, exports to one of the main trading partners have been hit. Discussions between India and the United States are ongoing, but a final agreement has yet to be reached. A visiting US delegation held talks in New Delhi last week, though the meetings did not result in a breakthrough, even as Prime Minister Modi and President Donald Trump continue to describe their periodic phone conversations as “great”.The US is seeking to narrow its trade deficit by increasing exports of energy and agricultural products. While India has indicated a willingness to partly raise energy imports, it has made it clear that opening up the farm sector is not negotiable. Indian officials now believe the agreement could be signed by March.In the meantime, India has stepped up efforts to widen its export base and reduce reliance on any single market. As part of this push, stalled negotiations with the European Union have been revived. The India-EU trade agreement is in the works and discussions are ongoing with Chile.

7 Trade Deals in 5 Years

Gulzar Didwania, Partner at Deloitte India tells TOI that India’s CEPA with Oman and the newly concluded Free Trade Agreement with New Zealand represent watershed moments in India’s export-led growth strategy. “The India-Oman CEPA delivers zero-duty access for goods in Oman on nearly 98% of its tariff lines, covering key sectors such as textiles, engineering goods, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and automobiles. Similarly, the India-New Zealand FTA would reduce tariffs on 100% on India’s exports to New Zealand, opening NZ’s market more broadly to Indian goods and services. This is expected to double bilateral trade over the next five years.,” he explains.Didwania is of the view that trade deals and FTAs not only deepen market access but also help diversify India’s export destinations by lowering barriers, facilitating regulatory alignment, and enhancing services mobility.Agneshwar Sen, Trade Policy Leader at EY India notes that India’s recent pivot toward ‘new-age’ Free Trade Agreements signify a fundamental shift in trade architecture.“These are not just tariff-reduction exercises; they are strategic gateways into high-value developed markets. By securing zero-duty access for over 90% of our tariff lines, India is leveling the playing field for labor-intensive exports like textiles, engineering, and jewelry against global competitors,” Sen tells TOI.“These pacts move beyond merchandise trade by embedding binding investment commitments and professional mobility for our services export. These agreements integrate our MSMEs into the heart of global value chains, ensuring that ‘Make in India’ is backed by ‘Market Access for India.’ This proactive trade diplomacy is exactly what is needed to address the growing protectionist tendencies, globally. India is effectively insulating itself from global trading uncertainties, particularly in our traditional markets,” he concludes.India has so far signed trade agreements with Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Australia, the UAE and Mauritius. It is also a member of the ASEAN trade pact covering ten Southeast Asian nations and has an agreement with the four country EFTA bloc comprising Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Under the India New Zealand FTA, all Indian goods will receive zero duty access into New Zealand, including products from labour intensive sectors such as textiles, plastics, leather and engineering goods. New Zealand has also committed to facilitate foreign direct investment of USD 20 billion into India over a 15 year period.The agreement includes commitments covering a broad range of high value services, including IT and IT enabled services, professional services, education, financial services, tourism, construction and other business segments. It also opens new skilled employment avenues through a Temporary Employment Entry Visa pathway for Indian professionals in skilled occupations, with a quota of 5,000 visas available at any given time and a maximum stay of up to three years.

The Bangladesh interim government’s foreign affairs adviser M Touhid Hossain on Sunday said Dhaka would “consider scaling back its presence” in New Delhi if deterioration continues in the situation, which turned grim after the anti-India youth leader Osman Hadi succumbed to the injuries he suffered in an assassination bid.Hossain’s remarks came hours after India rejected as “misleading propaganda” reports in Bangladeshi media that protests outside its mission in New Delhi against the killing of a Hindu man in Mymensingh attempted to create a security situation.

The ministry of external affairs (MEA) had said that about 20-25 youths gathered in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Saturday and raised slogans, protesting the “horrendous killing” of Dipu Chandra Das, 25, who was lynched to death by a mob in Mymensingh on Thursday.Hossain also said the protesters also did not merely raise slogans over the killing of a Bangladeshi Hindu citizen but made “other statements as well,” and claimed that reports published in Bangladeshi newspapers were largely accurate and not misleading, according to news agency PTI.Hossain, however, said he had no concrete proof about death threats to the Bangladesh envoy in Delhi as speculated.The strained bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh has descended a notch lower since Muhammad Yunus has taken charge of the interim government after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster.Also read: Sheikh Hasina on ‘reality of Yunus’ Bangladesh’; blames interim govt for not protecting minoritiesThe incident triggered a massive violent protest that swelled into widespread arson, killing, and vandalism outside the Indian high commission and against the Hindu community.Hossain said Bangladesh was “compelled” to respond openly following the Indian press note but added that both sides remain in contact through diplomatic channels and convey their positions accordingly.“Regarding the Indian press note, we completely reject it, entirely reject it. The issue has been presented as if it were very simple, whereas in reality it is not,” state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) quoted Hossain as saying at the media briefing.He questioned how a group of 25 to 30 people, “described as belonging to a Hindu extremist organisation, could reach such a sensitive zone,” adding under normal circumstances this should not have been possible “unless they were allowed the access.”Hossain also called the MEA statement “oversimplified” saying “they (India) say it may have been 20–25 people, but that is not the point.”

The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 will be historic as Indian stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who now only feature in the ODI format, will feature in the tournament after respective long years. This comeback is a strategic move for the preparation of the upcoming New Zealand ODI series and to keep themselves match-fit for the ultimate goal: the ODI World Cup 2027 trophy. Their participation marks a rare return to their roots, offering a massive boost to the domestic circuit and providing fans a glimpse of the legends in state colors. As the tournament kicks off on December 24, all eyes will be on how these modern-day greats transition back to the domestic 50-over grind.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26

1. Virat Kohli: Delhi (Elite Group D)

Kohli returns to represent Delhi after a 15-year gap in this tournament. He is confirmed to feature in the opening stages held in Bengaluru.

Availability & Fixtures

Vijay Hazare Record & Stats

• Total Runs: 819
• Matches: 14
• Average: 68.25
• Strike Rate: 106.08
• Centuries/Fifties: 4 / 3
• Last Appearance (Before 2025): His final match was in February 2010 against Services at the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) Ground, Gurgaon. In that game, he scored 8 runs off 16 balls while leading the side.
• Legacy: His most prolific season was 2008-09, where he finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 534 runs, including a blistering 124 off 82 balls against Haryana.

Also READ: Rishabh Pant to captain Delhi as Virat Kohli makes historic Vijay Hazare Trophy return; squad announced for first two games

2. Rohit Sharma: Mumbai (Elite Group C)

The Indian captain will join the Mumbai squad for their initial fixtures in Jaipur. Under the captaincy of Shardul Thakur, Rohit will look to get crucial time in the middle before the international season resumes.

Availability & Fixtures

Vijay Hazare Record & Stats

• Total Runs: 581
• Matches: 18
• Average: 38.00
• Strike Rate: 90.8
• Centuries/Fifties: 3/1
• Last Appearance (Before 2025): Rohit last played on October 17, 2018, in the Semi-final against Hyderabad in Bengaluru. He scored 17 runs in a rain-affected match that Mumbai won.
• Impact: Rohit has a storied history with Mumbai; in his last full season (2018-19), he played a match winning unbeaten knock against Bihar in the Quarter-finals just days before his final appearance, eventually helping Mumbai clinch the title.

Also READ: Mumbai announces squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy; Rohit Sharma makes historic return

Gautam Gambhir with Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube (PTI Photo)

MUMBAI: India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Shivam Dube will play two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Mumbai in January.“Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had told all the India players who took part in the recently held T20I series against South Africa that they have to play two matches in VHT. Suryakumar and Dube will turn out for Mumbai in VHT in their matches on January 6 and 8,” a source tracking developments told TOI.

India’s next T20I series will begin on January 21 against New Zealand at home.Meanwhile, former India captain Rohit Sharma, who will play the first two matches of VHT, is reaching Jaipur on Monday night, along with Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur, who became a father on Sunday. Both will take part in Mumbai’s practice session on Tuesday.Mumbai underwent an optional practice session on Monday at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium and will play their league stage matches in Jaipur starting from December 24.They will launch their campaign against Sikkim on Wednesday.Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was hospitalised in Pune after suffering from acute gastroenteritis after Mumbai’s last match in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, too will turn out for Mumbai in the domestic One-Day tournament at some stage.“Yashasvi is feeling much better now. He will play in VHT at some stage for sure,” a source tracking developments told TOI.With no international cricket scheduled till January 11, when the three-match home ODI series against New Zealand kicks off, India’s top cricketers will be available to play in VHT.Rahane to rest from VHT’s initial matchesMeanwhile, it’s learnt that former India and Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane has asked to be rested from the first two matches of VHT. “He has got a hamstring issue and will rest and recover. He will be available for the second leg of the Ranji Trophy,” a source added.

Mumbai: The Congress had improved its assembly election performance and won 41 municipal council president posts and 1,006 councillor seats in the recent municipal council and nagar panchayat elections across Maharashtra, claimed state Congress Chief Harshvardhan Sapkal. A party leader said that after the two main ruling parties, the BJP and Shiv Sena, the Congress emerged as the third largest party in this election. Congress leader Sachin Sawant said, “We secured far more numbers than the other opposition parties, which puts us as the main principal opposition party in the state. We also secured more than what was secured by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.”The State Election Commission is yet to publish the entire list of winners, but the Congress said it had prepared its own list of winning candidates.Sapkal held around 65 meetings across the state during the election and, with Vijay Wadettiwar, led the campaign for the party aggressively. “Many other senior leaders were reluctant to campaign. Otherwise, the result would have been better,” said a Congress leader.“Owing to the hard work of Congress workers, voters across the state elected 41 Congress municipal presidents and 1,006 councillors in these elections. These results once again prove that trust outweighs money and ideology is more important than power,” Sapkal said. He added that these results were achieved under extremely adverse circumstances and proved that public trust matters more than money and that ideology is more important than power.He stated that in the Nagpur division, Congress won 14 municipal president posts and 340 councillor seats; in the Amravati division, nine municipal president posts and 236 councillor seats; in Marathwada, five municipal president posts and 156 councillor seats; in western Maharashtra, three municipal president posts and 47 councillor seats; in north Maharashtra, 2 municipal president posts and 47 councillor seats; and in the Konkan division, 1 municipal president post and 26 councillor seats. Local fronts supported by Congress secured victories for 7 municipal president posts and 154 councillor seats. Sapkal said, “Although the BJP and the party led by Eknath Shinde secured victories by making extensive use of money and with the help of the administration, Congress continues to live in the hearts of the people and will remain there in the future as well.” He said the victory in the municipal elections would serve as a source of energy for forthcoming municipal corporation elections.

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Days after the death of prominent Bangladeshi youth leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, which triggered widespread unrest in the country, another leader was shot on Monday. The injured youth leader has been identified as Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar, Khulna divisional chief of the Bangladesh National Citizen Party, The Daily Star reported. He was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

Who is Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar?

Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar is a resident of Sheikhpara Palli in Bangladesh’s Sonadanga. The 42-year-old leader is the Khulna divisional chief of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and a central organiser of the party’s workers’ wing, NCP Sramik Shakti.“Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar, was shot a few minutes ago,” NCP’s joint principal coordinator Mahmuda Mitu said in a Facebook post.Animesh Mondol, officer-in-charge of Sonadanga Model Police Station, said that “miscreants opened fire at Motaleb, targeting his head around 11.45 am near Gazi Medical College Hospital in the city,” The Daily Star reported.Further quoting the doctors, Mondol said Motaleb is out of danger. The bullet entered through one side of his ear, pierced the skin, and exited through the other side, he added.According to Bangladeshi media reports, Saif Nawaz, an NCP functionary from the party’s Khulna metropolitan unit, said the attack occurred while Sikdar was making preparations for a rally that was scheduled to begin shortly.The incident comes amid heightened political tension following the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a key youth leader of Bangladesh’s 2024 uprising. Hadi, 32, was a senior leader of the student-led platform Inqilab Mancha and a vocal critic of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.Hadi was shot by masked assailants on December 12 while leaving a mosque in central Dhaka. He was later airlifted to Singapore for advanced medical treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries last Thursday, officials said.Reacting to his death, Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus described it as an “irreparable loss for the nation,” announced a day of mourning, and ordered special prayers nationwide.Hadi’s killing sparked strong political reactions, with thousands of protesters taking to the streets of Dhaka late Thursday and early Friday last week, demanding justice for the slain youth leader.

With more than three months still remaining before the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season begins, a franchise has already started laying the groundwork for their campaign. In a proactive move aimed at sharpening its bowling resources, the star-studded team is planning to send a group of domestic pacers to South Africa for a specialised training stint. The initiative underlines a growing trend among IPL teams to prioritise early preparation and player workload management well ahead of the tournament.

South Africa stint during SA20 to aid comeback plans for the promising team

The team in discussion is none other than Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). According to a report in Cricbuzz, LSG have selected few of their bowlers to train alongside players from Durban Super Giants, the South African sister franchise of LSG, during the upcoming SA20. Notably, the upcoming season of SA20 begins on December 26 and runs for nearly a month, offering an ideal competitive and training environment. Among the names under consideration are Avesh Khan and Mohsin Khan, both of whom have been recovering from injuries. Young left-arm pacer Naman Tiwari is also in contention to join the group.

The bowlers are likely to travel to Durban sometime next week. Naman, signed for INR 1 crore at the recent mini-auction, is seen as a long-term prospect. The 20-year-old is not part of Uttar Pradesh’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, making him available for the Durban trip. Further, the franchise is understood to have sought formal clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ensure compliance with all protocols.

Also READ: SA20 2026: Complete squads of all six teams after the players’ auction

Coaching continuity strengthens the plan

A major advantage of the Durban camp lies in the overlap of coaching personnel between the two franchises. The Durban setup includes Lance Klusener, Tom Moody, Bharat Arun, and Carl Crowe—with Moody, Arun and Crowe also serving on the IPL side’s support staff. This continuity is expected to help players transition smoothly into IPL-specific preparations.

For Avesh and Mohsin, the South Africa stint is particularly significant. Avesh has not featured in competitive cricket since the previous IPL season, while Mohsin missed the entire last campaign. Both have been undergoing rehabilitation and have only recently resumed bowling. Training in match-like conditions during SA20 is expected to accelerate their return to full fitness ahead of the IPL 2026.

Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Salary of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) players; check out how much Rishabh Pant and Josh Inglis earn