India and GCC begin formal FTA negotiations after Joint Statement in New Delhi

Direct fact

On 24 February 2026 in New Delhi, India and the Gulf Cooperation Council formally launched negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement after signing a Joint Statement.

Key specifics

• The Joint Statement was signed by Union Minister Piyush Goyal and GCC Secretary General H.E. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.
• The talks were announced in New Delhi on 24 February 2026.
• The GCC is described in the report as one of India’s most strategic economic partners.
• The FTA aims to improve predictability, certainty and momentum in trade and investment ties.
• The agreement is intended to unlock untapped potential in bilateral economic relations.

Exam lens

Question type: international relations and trade agreements; remember New Delhi, 24 February 2026, Piyush Goyal, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, and GCC. TNPSC may ask the purpose of an FTA and the partner bloc involved.