India’s expanding network of free trade agreements (FTAs), including the recently concluded pact with the European Union, is critical to strengthening manufacturing competitiveness and export resilience amid global uncertainty, the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament on Thursday said.The survey noted that an India-EU FTA could help revitalise parts of Europe’s manufacturing base while enhancing India’s strategic and industrial capacity. However, it stressed that trade agreements could deliver results only if domestic firms were able to produce competitively.Highlighting India’s diversified trade strategy, the survey also cited the recently concluded India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the conclusion of FTA negotiations with New Zealand in December 2025. Negotiations with the US, Chile and Peru are also underway.The India-Oman CEPA, signed on December 18, 2025, provides duty-free access for 99.38 per cent of India’s exports, with immediate tariff elimination on 97.96 per cent of tariff lines, including all major labour-intensive sectors. India has offered tariff liberalisation on 94.81 per cent of its imports from Oman. The pact also includes an enhanced mobility framework for Indian professionals, with Oman making commitments across sectors such as IT, professional services, education and health.The survey said a wider FTA network offered exporters more reliable market access and helped export-oriented firms integrate into global value chains, while exposure to international competition encouraged higher productivity and reliability.It also emphasised the role of states in implementing trade agreements, noting that export competitiveness increasingly depended on state-level infrastructure, regulatory certainty and administrative coordination.To help exporters leverage FTAs, the survey highlighted initiatives such as the trade connect tariff explorer, the export promotion mission and the credit guarantee scheme for exporters to ensure liquidity and business continuity during periods of volatility.