3 months ago
1
India precocious entered into a spate of commercialized agreements, including with the European Union and the United States, “from a presumption of strength”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said connected Sunday (February 15, 2026), adding that these deals were designed to grow planetary marketplace entree for Indian manufacturing and services.
His remarks, made successful a written interrogation to the Press Trust of India, comes aft the archetypal portion of the Budget Session of Parliament, wherever the authorities faced an onslaught by the Opposition connected the presumption of the commercialized deals.
Mr. Modi defended the agreements, noting that portion agelong negotiations by the erstwhile Congress-led UPA authorities had not yielded immoderate results, his government’s “political stableness and governmental predictability” had restored investors’ assurance successful India.
Looking beyond tariffs
The Prime Minister spoke astatine magnitude astir his ain government’s efforts to alteration the situation to onslaught these deals arsenic good arsenic his expectations from the backstage assemblage successful taking vantage of these agreements.
“Trade competitiveness is not lone astir tariffs. It is astir liquidity, certification, exertion adoption and compliance with planetary standards. Our Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are designed to trim non-tariff barriers and grow marketplace entree for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) successful sectors specified arsenic textiles, leather, processed food, engineering goods, chemicals, handicrafts and gems and jewellery,” Mr. Modi said.
“Indian MSMEs are much export-ready than before, and India’s commercialized argumentation present deliberately places MSMEs astatine the centre of planetary integration. These FTAs are tools to guarantee that our younker are not conscionable suppliers to the home market, but progressive participants successful planetary commercialized and growth,” helium said.
Private assemblage responsibility
But, helium added, “policy tin lone make the enabling framework. The adjacent signifier of translation requires a decisive effect from the backstage sector.”
“As a state that is portion of assorted commercialized agreements, making Indian products and services globally competitory is crucial. Our stance connected ‘Zero Defect, Zero Effect’ has resonated profoundly with the youth, start-ups and tiny and mean businesses,” the Prime Minister said. “MSMEs indispensable determination beyond being peripheral suppliers. They indispensable go technologically upgraded, globally integrated and export-oriented enterprises that signifier the backbone of India’s information successful planetary worth chains,” helium added.
Comment | India tested, from U.S. sanctions to one-sided commercialized deal
‘We are ready’
Mr. Modi explained the semipermanent attack down the Union Budget for 2026-2027. “This is not a ‘now oregon never’ infinitesimal calved retired of compulsion. It is simply a ‘we are ready’ infinitesimal calved retired of mentation and inspiration. This Budget reflects this yearning to go a developed nation,” helium said, explaining the Budget’s boost for superior expenditure.
He added that it was present clip for the backstage assemblage to measurement up and instrumentality vantage of the government’s concern successful infrastructure and superior expenditure. “I americium arrogant to accidental that we person moved from incremental adjustments to systemic transformation,” helium said.
His government’s apical 3 betterment priorities for the adjacent decade, Mr. Modi said, would beryllium continued structural reforms, deepening innovation, and further simplification of governance.
Defence focus
On defence expenditure and reforms, helium noted that his government’s absorption connected the contented had visibly paid disconnected during the people of Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.
“During the operation, 1 could spot the benefits of the reforms we person undertaken successful the past decade. Therefore, defence budgets, modernisation, etc., each these are parts of our continuous effort and request not beryllium linked to immoderate peculiar issue,” helium said successful the written interview.
When asked whether the higher budgetary allocation to the defence assemblage was portion of the acquisition learnt from Operation Sindoor, helium answered successful the affirmative. “Yes, the world is that our state has to beryllium beardown and beryllium prepared astatine each times, and that is what we are doing,” the Prime Minister said.
“In this year’s budget, a grounds ₹7.85 lakh crore person been allocated to the defence sector. This is 15 per cent higher than the erstwhile fund and is besides the biggest chunk allotted to immoderate ministry oregon department,” helium said.
Speaking connected the eve of the planetary AI Summit to beryllium held successful New Delhi from Monday, Mr. Modi said that “tax incentives announced successful the Budget are designed to accelerate concern successful this space, little the outgo of gathering precocious facilities and presumption India arsenic a globally competitory destination for information infrastructure. The effect of this, too, volition beryllium a monolithic fig of jobs for our youth. We invitation the full world’s information to reside successful India!”
