The Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, announced that India has finalized nine free trade agreements with 38 nations, granting Indian businesses favorable access to a significant portion of global trade. These agreements aim to facilitate the entry of Indian goods, services, agricultural products, and labor-intensive sectors into new markets, enabling integration into global value chains and enhancing talent mobility. Goyal emphasized that the focus of Aatmanirbhar Bharat is to establish resilient, trusted, and diversified supply chains through international engagement.
Highlighting the importance of seizing global opportunities, Goyal urged entrepreneurs and industry leaders to extend support to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), farmers, exporters, and fishermen nationwide. He expressed confidence in the youth of India leading the country towards achieving the status of a developed economy by 2047 during the ‘Amrit Kaal’. Speaking at the 27th ‘EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards’ in Mumbai, Goyal stressed that India’s growth trajectory will persist, driven by its entrepreneurs and youth, calling for collective efforts to realize the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Goyal reiterated that India’s growth narrative is deeply intertwined with its youth and human capital, citing passion, innovation, and skilled manpower as the nation’s key competitive advantages. Addressing concerns regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and employment, he predicted that AI would revolutionize job roles rather than displace them. With India producing approximately 2.3 million STEM graduates annually, Goyal highlighted the country’s abundant pool of young, adaptable, and ambitious talent.
Drawing parallels to the Y2K era, Goyal positioned AI as the upcoming transformative phase that will create enhanced opportunities, high-value work, expanded exports, and deeper global integration for Indian enterprises. He also emphasized the growing demand for skilled professionals in domains like cybersecurity, data protection, and system governance. The event concluded with Goyal presenting awards to distinguished entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and startup founders from various regions.
