The weekly meeting of the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs today saw Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal make a detailed presentation on free trade agreements (FTAs) signed by India including progress on the proposed bilateral trade deal with the US.Speaking in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior NDA partners, Goyal said India had negotiated all FTAs with openness and balance, with priority of making the country self-reliant.At a time when the farmers of Punjab are agitated over potential consequences on agriculture of the deal with the US, Goyal told MPs that the interests of all sensitive sectors — dairy, agriculture, farmers and domestic industry — have been protected and market access has been safeguarded.“There has been no compromise with national or farmer interests,” the minister said, days after Punjab’s farmers announced an agitation against an Indo-US trade deal, which is in the final stages.Importantly, 20 rebel MPs of the TMC attended today’s meeting for the first time. Ousted Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also participated.“India is negotiating to usher in an age of transformation in trade and leading the way to Viksit Bharat by 2047,” Goyal told MPs. The reference was to how India has steadily expanded the network of FTAs over the past few years reaching nine agreements spanning 38 countries. Starting with the India-Mauritius deal in 2021, the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) followed in May 2022. The India-Australia Economic and Trade Agreement was implemented in December 2022. India then signed the European Free Trade Association-Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement on March 10, 2024, which entered into force on October 1, 2025. The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement was signed in July 2025 and India-Oman CEPA in December 2025. The India-New Zealand FTA was announced on December 22, 2025, followed by the India-EU FTA on January 27, 2026.Goyal said the agreements had expanded access to developed markets for Indian farm produce, boosted export opportunities for entrepreneurs and women-led MSMEs in sectors such as garments, leather and handicrafts, and opened new avenues for students, IT professionals, chefs and yoga instructors through easier mobility, post-study work visas and social security benefits.The meeting also saw a presentation on the blue economy sector emerging as a major export driver. This presentation was made by Fisheries Minister Rajiv Lallan Singh.