The Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), organised a conference on next generation trade pacts on 19 May 2026 at FICCI Federation House in New Delhi. The event brought together policymakers, industry representatives, trade experts, legal practitioners and members of academia to consider India’s evolving engagement with Europe under emerging free trade agreements. Discussions centred on market access, regulatory compliance and the implications of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) for Indian industry.

FICCI leaders framed the conference as a call to strengthen standards infrastructure, testing and certification capabilities and digital compliance tools to address non-tariff barriers in European markets. The chair of the FICCI Foreign Trade and Trade Facilitation Committee and managing director of Shahi Exports emphasised the need for institutional mechanisms to support exporters. CTIL set out the context of next generation trade agreements as extending beyond tariff liberalisation to disciplines that will shape future international economic cooperation.

The additional secretary at the Department of Commerce and Industry described the conclusion of an India–European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement as a significant diplomatic milestone and stated that the pact would provide preferential tariff treatment to 99.5 per cent of Indian exports. He further noted that the agreement would strengthen integration into European value chains, facilitate greater market access across goods and services sectors and reduce non-tariff trade barriers. FICCI urged effective industry utilisation of trade agreements through awareness, capacity building and enterprise preparedness initiatives.

Four thematic sessions examined opportunities from India’s trade agreements with the United Kingdom (UK), the European Union and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), standards and regulatory compliance in European markets, services trade and digital economy engagement, and CBAM implications. Presentations addressed sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, services trade policy and EU carbon measures and outlined the role of CTIL’s Trade Remedies Advisory Cell. Participants discussed pathways for enhancing export competitiveness and navigating carbon related trade measures.

The conference concluded with a vote of thanks from FICCI and an intention to continue stakeholder engagement to bolster India’s export readiness and compliance ecosystem. Organisers signalled follow up work on capacity building and legal and technical support for exporters seeking deeper engagement with European markets. The event was presented as part of ongoing efforts to operationalise India’s next generation trade partnerships.